When I was young growing up in a house of alcoholics I often heard profanities and swearing. Even at a young age, I hated it and grew up to be anxious hearing it.
With their sobriety, however temporary, came a respite from words of filth and it was a welcome time of reasonable peace.
Later on in my first marriage, I was the target of abusive filthy comments punctuated by blasphemies. It was soul destroying. I longed for the peace that wholesome words brought.
The words of the world, especially of the base world where God is not a holy word, but a blasphemed expletive, and people are described in terms that would make a sailor blush- do not edify, but bring the hearers down.
Words are so powerful and can be used for good or evil. They can be as sharp as a sword, piercing through one's heart, remembered for all time. Or they can be a soothing balm.
The scriptures tell us the power of words are so effective that we are to choose our words wisely, edifying and building up only. We are to have kindness on our tongue at all times.
The words we speak will show what is in our heart and soul. We will be judged for every idle word we have ever spoken.
Words that uplift us and that calm us and give us peace are what I term "Kingdom Words"...
Let's think of that peace by reading some Kingdom Words in the Bible, of which there are thousands. I have selected a few for illustration...
grace, forgiveness, mercy, love, justice, righteousness, holiness, kindness, honesty, peace, hope, joy, faithfulness, gentleness, humility...
Let us cultivate our speech to be a blessing to the hearers and let us train ourselves to reject the use of questionable and hateful language.. Let "Kingdom Words" have dominion in our vocabulary and bless others with them.
© Glenys Robyn Hicks
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21
