The Power of Words

In a devotional that I have been reading, the author challenged her readers to say, "I trust you, Jesus," frequently throughout their day, especially when feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. I dismissed it as sounding rather contrived and tacky, but for some reason the idea stuck with me. The next time I was feeling stressed because the kids were acting up, the thought came into my mind, "I should say, 'I trust you, Jesus'". So I did. And to my surprise, it helped!

Since then I have been saying that phrase fairly frequently, and I've also been thinking about why it is so helpful. One reason that keeps coming to mind is that words are very powerful. We tend to forget this, but it's true. We can see evidence of it all around us. A genuine encouragement can inspire someone to achieve far more than they thought they could. An careless insult can eat away at someone for years. I know I've seen those kinds of effects in my life, and I'm sure you have too.

When I say, "I trust you, Jesus," I am reminding myself about Jesus. It's funny how we can so easily go through our day without an awareness of Jesus - his presence, his love, his forgiveness, his power. I am also reminding myself that I have a relationship with him, and that he has promised to never leave me. I am declaring to myself, to him, and to the world that he is my saver, my sustainer, and my hope. When I say that phrase, I am also changing my focus and my perspective. I am taking my attention off my problems and stress, and directly inviting Jesus to be a part of whatever situation I find myself in. And that changes the reality of my moment.

The power of words even goes beyond whether or not we open our mouths to say something. Our thoughts are words too, and how we think (our "internal dialogue") can have a huge affect on us. It can turn a problem into an opportunity and a hard day into a day to be thankful for.

I'm not saying that we need to just "think positive" all the time. But I do want to challenge myself to carefully consider the kinds of thought patterns I have. When I'm feeling lonely, it's not very helpful to keep telling myself, "No one likes me. I don't have any friends." Instead maybe I should say, "I feel lonely. I should find a way to connect with someone." When I'm feeling stressed, instead of thinking, "I can't deal with this!", I can remind myself that Jesus is with me. One way of thinking traps me; the other gives room for hope.

The words we choose to use can have far more of an impact than we realize. In the way that I talk to others and talk to myself, I want to be the kind of person that uses the power of words for good.