The Effect of Wordsl

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14

allowing the world’s words to speak louder than God’s Word only brings hurt…my story of learning the hard way…

It’s amazing how the simplicity of a word can cause such a bold effect. Words have the potential to separate a satisfactory writing from an accomplished writer. Combining the right words holds the possibility of creating a beautiful story, but what about single words? Words on their own, words that describe:

Beautiful, confident, humble, ridiculous, inconsiderate…

These are words that not only describe, for better or worse, but can define and in some cases they define one’s character.

At age fourteen, just an insecure new teenager trying to overcome sexual abuse I’d experienced as a young girl, I remember being referred to by a certain intimidating boy as prude. Having not a clue what this word meant at the time and feeling verbally threatened I quietly, but quickly searched out the meaning.

prude (adj.)- one who is too concerned with being proper or modest; a derogatory label affixed most often to girls or women who are not forth coming romantically

As I studied my peer’s behavior it was considerably prominent they were not a description of the term, prude. In fact they were quite the opposite. And in my vulnerable submissive mind this became a problem—for me. In a matter of months I turned someone else’s accurate representation of myself in a complete one-eighty due to fear of acceptance.

For the remainder of my teen years I would live in self-destructive brokenness. Rarely giving recognition to the fact that Jesus already provided my ‘true love story’, I sought to develop my own version of a love story through unhealthy relationships that I thought could fill a void in my mind which aimed to enrapture others. I lived in an oblivious state of mind that only gave sight to God when I’d attend a week at summer camp or a weekend at a Christian youth revival. Other than those few assemblies, plus irregular church attendance the words “Christ-follower” were not manifested as part of my vocabulary in tangible life-form. That one word (prude) destroyed my integrity as a teenage girl and all Christian values I knew were set aside while I lived out a self-indulgent teen life.

Too often we reflect on the value we have to others; we substitute man’s word in place of God’s Word. We focus on the “name calling” rather than “God’s calling”.

We’ve all heard the overused cliché, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’―in reality this statement isn’t at all reliable. While there’s no denying sticks and stones can break bones, our bones are natural healers. When a break occurs new cells and tiny blood vessels help rebuild the bone eventually making the area as good as new. BUT when words hit us they can cut to the depth of our inner feelings leaving a prolonged emotional wound.

A tone of voice, simple phrase, or the sentence in which its used can cause an unfavorable outcome of a word used with careless mannerism. Each word holds great value whether positive or negative. They have the power to modify one’s thoughts, actions, or behavior. Words should never be used without regard to how they may affect the receiving end.

As a young adult, even though I was no longer immersed in shameful behavior the weight of guilt rested heavy in my heart. It wasn’t until I intentionally pursued and soaked in God’s word that I finally felt free from that one word that had caused such havoc in my life.

When we embrace God, He provides healing and comfort in times of trouble.

When we feel the sting of a reckless word may it be our prayer that without hesitation we come humbly before the One who speaks the absolute word of truth; the One who says you are chosen (1 Peter 2:9)- you are loved unconditionally (Romans 5:8)- allowing Him to restore our minds. Likewise we must be persistent in ensuring the words we choose to speak build character, rather than demolish reputation, and that ultimately they point others toward our Heavenly Father― the One who created, without error, The Word (John 1:14).

APPLICABLE VERSES:

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14

Author: alimw2013

About For His Purpose~ My name is Alicia and I'm a thirty-something year old who loves Jesus. Only through God’s amazing grace and mercy I have been redeemed from past regret and shame. Reading His word has allowed me to look past Satan’s forceful lies, to see myself for who Christ says I am in Him. Through writing I have learned why I made the choices I made in my younger years and I now have a better understanding of why I desire to love God like crazy these days. Despite my daily failures, God remains faithful always. I am reassured of His unconditional love for me by every ink-drop spilled out on paper, each committed prayer as I cry out to Him, and deep understanding reflected through reading His word as truth. Yes keeping a blog will make me vulnerable to others’ opinions- there will be some who don’t understand, some who may criticize or judge, but on the other hand if just one piece expressed through my writing grabs someone’s attention and directs them to God, then pouring out my heart in a blog for the world to read is worth it. I choose to glorify Him alone through words streaming across a glowing screen. And it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t reveal the fact that I’m incredibly quirky; I’m my loving husband’s best friend, my vivacious kids’ craziest cheerleader and spiritual trainer (3 John 1:4). I love anything farmhouse and rustic style. I think cupping a warm coffee mug in the palm of my hands is more satisfying than the contents within. I share a common obsession with my husband for the mountains, but I would (without a doubt) settle for waves crashing against my legs at the Atlantic Ocean just as well, and I almost always have a Yorkie curled up on my lap while writing. *All photos are photographed by forhispurpose.blog and therefore may not be stored or photocopied in any manner. View all posts by alimw2013