the power of negative words...

we are looking now at what we say in our communication.

and do we realize, do we have any conception of this power that we have to build into other people’s lives with a few words? to build encouragement into somebody’s life with the simple encouragement, “good job!” or to build a sense of healing into somebody’s life with the simple words, “i’m sorry? will you forgive me?” or to build hope for the future or energy for today with the words, “i love you.”

you know about this. it’s happened in your life. think of the times that your life has been changed by just a few words at just the right time, just the right moment. it may have been a coach giving you encouragement. it may have been a grandma giving you advice. it may have been your husband/wife sharing words of love with you. it may have been a teacher sharing some truths. those words said at the right time, you can look back and say, “my life changed because of those words in that moment.”

dr. larry crabb, a CHRISTian counselor, and author and speaker tells of a middle aged man who had been struggling for years with chronic depression and he came to dr. crabb and in the course of counseling, the man related that his father, the self-made head of a large corporation, had repeatedly told him, "son, when you inherit the family business, i expect that you will ruin it."

those words stung more painful each time he heard them. when his father died, the man felt driven to work unreasonably long hours to prove his father's prediction wrong but the pressure to avoid failure relentlessly gnawed at him and was quieted only by alcohol. soon a serious drinking problem developed, his wife threatened to leave him and finally he succumbed to ongoing depression for which he could find relief only in drugs. his life was devastated by the power of his father's tongue.

some of you have felt that pain. some of you know what I’m talking about. the power of negative words on a life. the power of our words

just a thought from the front…