Words Were Meant to Make Things

In the last two days, I've had one singular idea floating in my head. 

Our words are powerful. Things happen when we speak. Dangerous, dark and destructive things as well as beautiful, bright and brilliant happen when we speak.

It's breathtaking. It's humbling. It's humiliating.

It's part of our make-up as created in the image of God and in fact it's part of our family traditions given the fact that God "spoke" the whole world into being. That's right, it was words that made things.

If we don't choose our words carefully, we bring into life all sorts of chaos. I realize this when I teach the Bible to people who are coming to it with fresh eyes and my sarcasm convinces them of something that simply isn't true. I have to back up and confess that my desire to be engaging and witty creates a monster within the hearts and minds of those who don't know the intention of those words.

I think this is why James talked about the tongue setting hellish "forest fires" in the real world (James 3:5).

I also think this is what Jesus was all about considering He was "the word" that "became flesh and dwelled among us." (John 1).

There was a creative and redemptive reason for Jesus being the word with skin on - He was continuing the work of His Father, speaking the kingdom of God into reality with every act and every teaching.

Today, what are you creating with your words? Are you longing for and opening yourself up to being the creative word of God with skin on in your teaching, preaching, leadership and conversation? Or are you open at this moment to the possibility of setting earth-scorching forest fires with the way you approach your words?

Words create.

Words destroy.

Be creative.