The Power of Words

Our words hold a ton of power.

When they are used with love and intention, they have the ability to uplift and transform those around us. I love Proverbs 16:24, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” I want to dive into this verse a bit more to understand the purpose and power of positive affirmations to one another.

If you know me, you know that I am a words of affirmation person. Out of all of the love languages, hearing positive words fills me up the most. Many of us are the same way. We love when others praise and encourage us for a job well done.

Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of words being used as a way to show God’s grace and love:

• Jesus’ interaction in John 8 with the woman caught in adultery. In the midst of shame and potential stoning, Jesus spoke words of grace to her offering a new beginning

• Thomas needing assurance of Jesus’ resurrection in John 20. Jesus’ words to him served to help Thomas as he faith was in a season of doubt.

• The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Jesus affirmed her value and worth which in turn transformed her life completely.

The significance of positive affirmations extends beyond just being filled up individually. It extends outward to the world. We know the importance of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Words of affirmation are one of the biggest expressions of this love. Words hold the power to ignite hope and strengthen bonds with the broken.

We can do two things with our words: We can validate others’ hurt, and we can affirm one another’s value as children of God. In moments of brokenness, these two forms of using affirming words pack a powerful punch. They serve as lifelines to those that are lost and hurting. Words can be a light leading those in despair.

Words give a voice to the shared experience of brokenness that we sometimes experience in this life. When our words are aligned with the heart of Christ, they can be turned into healing and hope.

Cultivating a culture of affirmation as Christians requires conscious, consistent effort. It involves choosing to replace non-filling words with ones that build others up. We are encouraged in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

It’s not just about positive words. It’s about authentic encouragement. It requires intentionality. We are called to affirm in truth and love. When we do so, our words can refocus someone else’s lense of hope and place it on Jesus.

Words of affirmation are one of the most powerful tools in our tool belt of sharing the Gospel. As followers, we are encouraged to embrace this tool and to use it to reflect God’s grace to others.

Affirming words are truly sweet to the soul.

To God be the glory!

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I pray that your day is full of reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. May you faithfully build your life on Christ.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To God be the glory,

Coach T