In my first attempt to share my thoughts on the power our words can have on others and on ourselves, I wondered off a bit. That happens often these days. Some people call that having a “senior moment,” but it is just my way of putting down whatever seems to pop up in my mind as I write.
I like that about this blog thing. Unless a person is a perfectionist, there is no need to have a great style, to be a stickler for grammar or to fear that you will be misunderstood. I have found that blog readers and writers will not hesitate to question what is meant by the use of specific words or phrases. That is the beauty of communication. We learn to see the narrowness of our own point of view in some areas or how we are completely off base, misinformed, ignorant or biased. If we are not too thin-skinned, we can receive a great education from the wisdom of others.
Today I will continue to air my humble opinions on the power of our words for good or ill.
In the long ago days when I first started to teach, I was not privy to a very extensive training period that would alert me to hazards of words spoken without much thought. However, since I had been raised in a very loving family, I knew that using sarcasm with people was a cowardly way of dealing with a problem. Another no-no was labeling or name-calling. Adults as well as children will recall for many years, the spirit-killing power of name-calling. All of us have the tendency to believe the worst about ourselves, especially if someone in authority has branded us as stupid, lazy, selfish or has identified us with myriads of other degrading labels.
I could not always prevent my students from hurling cruel words at others, but they soon learned that it would not be a hallmark of my classroom code of behavior. Conduct guided by love for others was imperative.
All the great guidelines outlined in 1Corinthians 13 about love by my personal favorite New Testament writer, Paul, are seriously needed in today’s world. In verses 4 through 10, Paul describes what love is. It is patient, kind, and not jealous, conceited, proud, ill mannered, selfish or irritable. It is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up.
In verse 1, Paul tells us about the value of love in our words:
“I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my words are no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell.”
Next article: Listen to people’s words. You will learn who they are.