Life-Giving Words

I've been thinking a lot about my words and how they affect my children. Do my words promote growth in their lives or cut and hinder their growth? 

Life-giving words are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Bible calls this list the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Fruit only grows from living plants and fruit nourishes and gives energy and life to those who consume it. When I choose life-giving words, I nourish my children, because I am pointing them to Christ.

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It’s hard for me to admit sometimes the words I speak to my children are not always loving, kind, good, or gentle. When harsh words are thrown out and consumed by my children they are harmed rather than nourished.

I have a choice to make when I speak to my children. I can display the fruit of the spirit, which is  beautiful and gives life or I can choose disobedience and display rotten and dead fruit, which frankly no one wants to be around.

My words will either give life or death, encourage or discourage, bless or curse. My words will either reflect my Savior or my enemy.

My goal when speaking to my children should never be to raise their self-esteems, but rather raise their awareness of how great and loving God is. I want my children to see Christ in me (Colossians 1:27). I want my children to know and understand how God uniquely created them with a specific plan and purpose in mind -- to love and serve Him and others (Jeremiah 29:11 and Matthew 22:36-40). .

I have spent some time looking up and studying Scriptures about our words, speaking, and our tongues and mouths. I've learned a lot and it would be my honor to share what God has been and continues to teach me over the next several weeks.

Choose words that heal, rather than destroy.

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” ~ Proverbs 16:24, NIV)