Hello there! I’m glad you’re reading this right now. First a quick shout out to some of my more active readers: Thanks to Mike, Kris, Jeremy, Brenda, Michael, and Stuart. Please leave your links in the comments so others can visit your sites and enjoy your great writing.

If you’re a writer, you may already know that this is WORDS MATTER week. If so, take a minute to weigh in on what you think about this subject.

You’ve no doubt heard the rhyme that ends with, “But words will never hurt me.”

I wish that were true. What is true is that words can wound not only myself but also you.

If words didn’t affect us, those comfy couches in the offices of counselors and therapists might be gathering dust instead of becoming well-worn. If “mere words” were powerless, people wouldn’t yell at their televisions when certain things were said. We’d stop buying heavily advertised name brand stuff and not fall for sales copy or political ads. If words were powerless, I wouldn’t feel hurt when someone unintentionally offended me. We wouldn’t replay conversations in our minds.

I’ve been thinking about this for the past few months because my choice of written words to a longtime friend had an unintended impact. In using words that I thought sounded supportive of my friend’s new enterprise, they were misinterpreted as dismissive. My heart is to encourage everyone who crosses my path. But as I mentioned above, sometimes, I still get it wrong. Even if you say or write the best words, they can still be misconstrued. Has that ever happened to you?

Words do matter. They’re bearers of vibration and great power. They can build up or tear down. If you’ve read The Good Book, you probably remember that God created the world with a word. Y’Shua killed a fig tree with his words. Mishlӗy 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Words matter when they’re being used to undermine truths we hold dear or that come against what we know and believe about ourselves. Words have the power to cajole or coerce us into making decisions about things as precious as our health, our families, or our children.

If words were powerless, we’d never be under duress.

ALL. WORDS. MATTER.

Think of all the industries that depend on words. Words build book publishing, newspaper, and news empires. If words didn’t matter, advertising wouldn’t cost so much and would-be journalists wouldn’t spend a small fortune to be educated in the art of word leveraging to craft their reports.

Think of all you wouldn’t know if there were no words. Without words, there are no stories. What stories have most impacted you? Think of all the words that you’ve collected up to now. How much of what you’ve heard are you repeating to others? Even our own words affect us.

Different words carry different weight. For example:

Words separate/detach/isolate “us” from “them.”

Words unite/bond/marry us or tear us apart.

Which word of the three would you choose? Or would you choose a different one? Even our word selections matter. How we say them matters.

Your words can keep a person calm or escalate an argument. They can confuse or clarify, make a person feel worthless or welcome.

Words are so powerful that there are eternal consequences; we are responsible for the words we speak. Mattisyahu 12:36-37 – “Moreover, I tell you this: on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken; for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned.” 

I learned that not everything needs a response. If something doesn’t need to be said, don’t say it! It’s important to carefully consider word choices because once it’s said, it can’t be unsaid. Careless words can cost you family relationships, friends and business associates. One lady I knew was always getting herself into relationship trouble. She quickly learned the power of her words and became an international negotiator!

Clearly what you speak—and even write—matters. Like seeds planted in soil, in due season you reap the harvest of what you have sown. Since learning this decades ago, I’ve been much more intentional about what I do and don’t say. I talk about this journey in greater depth in my upcoming book, Q-Thartik: Unlock the Sovereignty of Your Mind.

Until next time, I’d love to hear about your Words Matter experience.