What power do words have to affect our lives?

Discussion question for May 22, 2009.

The power of words, spoken or written, can be seen in the outcome of curses or blessings.  How much power is there?  Who does it affect?  Are there ways to overcome the power of the word?  How can we use the power to bring glory to God?

One Comment

  1. Calvin Tadema says:

    Here’s my summary of our discussion.

    Words are a demonstration of the condition of our heart. Whatever is in our heart will come out of our mouth in words, whether it demonstrates life or death that is prevalent inside us (James 3:9-10). Words are powerful for determining our true condition, even when our mind is covering something else up our natural response in words telegraphs our condition.

    Written words tend to be more powerful than spoken words. This is due, in part, to the extra care and thought that must go into them in the writing process. For that reason they carry more weight, have greater credibility, and are usually received as permanent or less subject to change. Written words are the product of taking time to put your thoughts in order.

    We can communicate our convictions to others through the written word. However, in the case of transferring or communicating an emotion or feeling it can be a disadvantage to have written words. The same care that goes into the writing can be used to control or squelch emotion.

    Words, whether written or spoken, have power in relationships for life or death. It matters what the speaker is intending, but it also matters how the hearer is receiving it. True communication happens when the speaker transfers a thought or feeling to the hearer accurately. So it is necessary to be aware of the points of view of the sender and receiver.

    When we hear a word of life (pronouncing a blessing) it is possible to negate it by denying its power. A compliment or word of affirmation can bring life to a person and relationship. But a wounded person can hear that word and twist it to a curse by their own frame of reference. We need to be on our guard so that doesn’t happen in us.

    Words used for communicating have life when they build relationship. If someone is speaking death over you, either intentionally or by default in their own woundedness, you don’t need to defend yourself. God is your defender. Breaking agreement with the argument kills it.

    This week we talked about the power of words especially in the realm of communication. Next week we will continue our discussion, but focus it on the spiritual realm instead.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.