Words Have Life
God has a purpose for our lives
Words are not mere sounds or syllables. They are not mere lines or markings on some material. They are not a conglomerate of ideas in our minds. Rather, they are alive and have a life of their own and should be so regarded.
Thus, speaking is like casting seeds onto the soil, knowing some of them will sprout and grow, demonstrating their inherent life. Some of the seeds which sprout will become desirable and valuable plants, while others may be as weeds and undesirable plants. However, each will have a life of its own.
Because of this verbal phenomenon, it behooves us to choose carefully what seeds we sow. They have the inherent potential either to contribute to the cause of well being or to disrupt, threaten or destroy it. Both truth and untruth can be conveyed by words; both have life and power to make a difference.
Words can produce conversations of glib chatter, or they can convey important information. They have the incredible ability to extract something from one person’s mind and transplant it into the mind of another person or many others.
Words are power-tools, with the double emphases on both power and tools. They are tools because they have utility and can be used to convey thoughts and express emotions. They are power packed because they have power to do many things: convey information or misinformation, portray truth, trigger emotions, ask or grant permission, etc. As tools they depend upon the user for their efficiency and efficacy. Some users are far more competent at choosing the right tool for the explicit job at hand.
Since words are power-tools, their use must always be a consideration. Because they have power - to enrich or destroy - build up or tear down - their choice and use are vitally important.
This famous saying is often displayed at educational institutions: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Of course, knowledge is communicated via words - written and spoken. The more carefully the words are chosen, the more efficiently and effectively the knowledge is conveyed and received.
The ultimate communication is from God. God uses words to speak to us. John’s gospel, early on, speaks of THE WORD becoming flesh and dwelling among us. God’s Word to us is always LOVE. God’s love is the first and last thing needing to be said about God. God is love. Jesus personified this love. It is both the essence and the power God has chosen to exercise. While we cannot comprehend or define God, we can and do experience God’s love. That is the Word made flesh that dwells within us.
The power of all words flows from that ultimate truth - God’s word is enfleshed in the love we experience, however it comes to us - directly from God or through another one of God’s people.
However it comes, it has LIFE and POWER!
Note: Please reread the above essay a number of times. In doing so you will likely discover something new each time. Words are pregnant.
