THE CREATIVE POWER OF WORDS
By CHERYL CRUCE
In the early ‘80s, I moved into a small North Florida town. In my first week of a new job, in a new neighborhood, I was enjoying the closeness of the community. One night as I was leaving work an employee asked if I liked living in the area. My response was a simple “yes.” To my “yes” came this response: “Good, because when most people move in, they find they can never afford to move out.” This was the mindset of the greater community.
Thirty years later I still remember the conversation. Not because of its wisdom, but the creative power of her spoken words. Her words spoke of poverty in her hometown and her community’s people. She felt trapped in a never-ending cycle of hopelessness, a constant routine of working just to stay afloat. Time and again, I wonder what happened to her, where is she today?
I have since moved away and started a new life here in Crawfordville. Nevertheless, that one conversation has followed me and taught me well. What words do I speak? In my conversations am I speaking blessings or curses? How often have we heard the phrase “If you can’t say something nice, do not say it at all”?
Proverbs 18:21 Teaches that the tongue can bring life or death. We have the creative power to speak life into darkened situations. As we speak to neighbors and friends what do our words say? Are our words kind and uplifting? It is easy to get caught up in the circumstances that plague our society.
The evening news is full of brokenness and heartache. We have new laws that should bring order to the chaos, yet they do not. We have leaders who promise to make the world a better place, and still, there is disenchantment.
The power is not in man or law but within our own spoken words. We need to speak life into the brokenness.
Man, nor man’s law is capable of bringing order to the chaos without the blessings of God. New laws rewrite the original ten, and leaders are only men doing what they consider is right. Yet God’s law teaches us, that if we who are called by His holy name, will humble ourselves before Him, He will be faithful and hear our pleas. God will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Healing comes from the Lord.
Today, I pray I will speak the blessings of God over my brother. May I speak life into difficult circumstances? I do not wish my words to be ominous, but words of hope and encouragement. Lord, let my words glorify your Holy Name. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.
This is a repeat of a column that appeared in August.