Minister’s Corner: The power of words

By: DR. BRIAN DORE’
Member of the Ville Platte
Ministerial Alliance

Words are very powerful things, and each of us must decide how we are going to use that power. Words have the potential for great good or great harm. James 3:8-10 (KJV) says, “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
The words we say create most of the problems we face. Most problems at church or in the workplace are the result of words. Most divorces are not caused by infidelity or desertion; they are caused by words. Most conflicts between parents and children are not the result of some generation gap, they are the result of words. I’ve known parents who spent 16 years speaking harshly to their children, constantly putting them down; and then they wonder why their teenager suddenly has so much hostility.
We need to remember our words carry tremendous weight, and they can cause enormous damage. The Bible says, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword...” (Proverbs 12:18 KJV). We must be mindful of the fact our words are weapons; they have the power to destroy. On the other hand, Proverbs 25:11 (KJV) says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” They can bring about peace in an anxious situation, defusing the problem. We would all be better off, and this world would be a better place, if we began choosing our words carefully.