Here are two stories from history that illustrate how the power of your words can affect others: 1) One day an altar boy was serving the priest at a mass at the country church in his small village. The boy, nervous in his new role, accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The priest struck him sharply on the cheek. Then in a gruff voice the congregation could hear, he shouted, ‘Leave the altar and don’t come back!’ That boy became Marshall Tito, the Communist dictator who ruled Yugoslavia with cruelty for decades. 2) One day in a large city cathedral another boy was serving a bishop at Sunday mass. He also accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The bishop turned to him, but rather than responding in anger, he gently whispered with a warm twinkle in his eyes, ‘Someday you will be a great priest.’ And he was. That boy grew up to become Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whose weekly televised sermons were heard by millions across America each week. Your words have the power to build up or tear down, enlighten or confuse, bring peace or cause division. The childhood phrase, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,’ simply isn’t true. Your words can hurt. They can wound – sometimes deeply. But they can also build self-esteem, create friendship, give hope, render blessing, and bring healing: ‘Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’ (Proverbs 16:24 NASB). So, pray like David: ‘Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD’ (Psalm 19:14 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.