What is the most powerful force in the universe? God? Love? Gravity? A black hole? A nuclear bomb?
I say: words.
You might be thinking: what? No.
I am a Christian, and while I don't like to push it at people who don't want to be, please follow along as I go there just for the point I am trying to make. No, you don't have to agree with me. This is my view.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:4 Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
And I could go on and on and on from the Bible alone.
Let's look elsewhere.
Love is a powerful force, but how do we express it best? With words. Watch the demeanor of a child as a parent says, "Sweetheart, you are wonderful! I love you!" vs. a child who is being told, "Shame on you!" Those are just words, right? No. They are not just words. Words are the building blocks or the destructive force in the life of a child.
How about in a marriage? "I love you!" vs. "I wish I had never met you." And it doesn't have to be that drastic. Something as simple as, "If you would take out the trash once in a while, maybe I would be more interested in you at night."
That atomic bomb? How was it first discovered? It started with an idea, and that person put that idea into words so others could understand the idea. Without words, that idea would have gone nowhere.
Gravity? A black hole? I'm riding the Christian bandwagon here. Created by the Word of God.
Last night, I was out with one of my kids helping him run an errand. In conversation, he used a word I don't recall ever hearing before: overmorrow. I questioned if the word was real. He looked it up on his phone and showed it to me. Yep. It's real. He laughed at me. I'm the writer, and he has a stronger vocabulary. It's true. He does. That's okay.
Words on the Declaration of Independence are the stepping stones that started our nation as a nation of freedom, a condition we are still trying and failing to emulate.
How much of your letter grades at school led to the self-esteem you have today? Those are just letters.
Scientists say talking to your plants helps them to grow.
The use of the one word: No. What a powerful word!
I was awake this morning at 3:30am. I don't know why. I simply woke up and was wide awake. In my feed was a Red Table Interview between Will Smith and Kevin Hart (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1966695776824051) where they both opened up about marriage, parenthood, relationships, and feelings. When is the last time you saw two grown men sit down and talk about their feelings? That doesn't happen often enough. In fact, we live in a world that frowns on such conversations. What creates those conversations that need to happen? Words.
We all need to become masters of our tongues. Word choices, tone of voice, attitude, facial expressions, all these things are invaluable tools necessary for properly using our words to build up instead of tear down the people around us, and to build up ourselves.
Proper boundaries for self protection, not for punishment, are built using words carefully chosen and put into practice.
In previous blog posts, I have mentioned my journaling. I love journaling for so many reasons! I have two different journals that have specific jobs, and the words in both are key.
In my first journal, I have different sections. Date, PIES update, a brief synopsis of my day, three gratitudes, and manifestations. Manifestations aka affirmations are statements written out about how I want my life to be. I tackle my thoughts, feelings, finances, relationships, everything. I write them all in the positive and present tense. For example, the first manifestation of every single entry is: I am Sunshine. What I mean by that is I am taking control of my attitude every day. I want to be genuinely upbeat. I want people to want to be around me. So, I state that I am a positive force by stating I am Sunshine. Another is: I am a great listener. This is a skill I feel I generally lack. By stating to myself every day that I am good at it, I am getting better.
My other journal is my Dear God, My Best Friend journal. In there, I free write a letter to God about my thoughts, feelings, actions, events, whatever I want about my day. And then, I write prayers over them. This journal helps me give things up to God with my words and helps my brain sleep at night.
In my opinion, Words are the most powerful force in the universe. They are our tools we should all use wisely. Can you imagine the condition of our world if we all did that? If we took the time and effort? The world would be an even more amazing place!
Thanks for reading!
Sarah
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