Choose Your Words Carefully

I might be dating myself, but do you remember the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”?  Well, that is a lie.
Words mean more than you think.  Our bible says that “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov 18:21).  God said to Abraham, in Genesis 12:3, that he would bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.  What are those?  Those are WORDS released into the atmosphere.  I can give so more scriptures to you on this.
My point today is the words that you speak over your children’s lives, your friend’s lives, or even over your own life are living words.  When you have a choice to say something positive or negative, choose positive. It may change the course of a person’s life, or not take their life.  It may encourage a child to choose another path…not hang around with the wrong crowd and succumb to peer pressure.  The right words spoken over your own life will make you want to live your life in a pleasing manner before the Lord.  Whether you know it or not, people watch and listen to you all the time.  You are the salt of the earth; you can be the soothing voice they need to hear in their darkest time.
Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG), “Summing it all up friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.  Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard, saw, and realized.  Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his excellent harmonies”.