The Word says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12: 36-37
We must not dismiss the importance of the power of words. Our words are so powerful that the Bible says that our tongues have the power to bring us life or death. Words can cause suffering and pain, but we all know that as we have, at one time or another, felt the sting of someone else’s words when that person was speaking into our lives. Words, however, can be healing, uplifting, and encouraging too, and we know this is true because of the precious souls in our lives who have honored us and helped us grow into greater wisdom and knowledge.
I believe that our words can and do have an eternal impact. It is particularly interesting to me to read the accounts of people from many different walks of life who have written books or have given interviews about their Near Death Experiences. So many of these people (and in fact almost all) claim to go through a ‘life review” with Jesus, or as some describe it, another being of light. In this life review, they relive in a sense every thought and every word they have exchanged with those people with whom they have interacted during their lifetimes. During this review, each one can see how he or she has impacted other people in a positive of negative way, and that person can often see how the thoughts and words spoken have had an effect on the world because of the ripple effect.
The common thread running through these accounts is that those watching their own life reviews could see and feel the emotions and reactions of the people with whom they were speaking, plus their own feelings whether good or bad. Some have said they could see how differently some situations would have turned out in their lives for good if they had realized how important their own words were in all of their relationships. People who claim to have gone to the Other Side and who have had such experiences come back with a renewed sense of the importance of their words. After seeing their life reviews, they seemingly want to guard their words much more carefully, no matter what relationships they are now involved in. They want to use their words to heal, they want to use their words to show love and understanding, and they want to use their words in a way that will enhance other’s lives with love, beauty, and grace.
Let’s not wait for a life review or even a near death experience to make sure that the words we speak to others always blesses them with truth, joy, inspiration, and most importantly, God’s wisdom. Maybe, just maybe, we could change our little worlds or someone else’s world even this very day by knowingly making All of our words count for that which is good.
Blessings and love to you, and yours, God’s Beloveds. May each of us walk in the truth of His Word.