The Impact of Our Words

Can you remember a time when someone said something hurtful to you? I’m sure that more than one example comes to mind. Maybe it was as a child on the playground… or maybe it brings you back to something that was said last week. I remember being a child, hearing something painful from a peer, and simply throwing out the classic “it’s opposite day!” – as if somehow that was supposed to reverse the painful words that were just lashed at me. Sometimes we can brush it off and forget words just as quickly as we declare it is “opposite day.” Other times, however, those words stick to us like glue, following us around like our shadow. We enter every room with what was spoken over us, letting it define who we are. A few words that were spoken to us can become the playlist we live our lives by.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:21 that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Wow—that’s a lot of power!

This whole thought draws me to the words of Jesus…

A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thronbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart

Luke 6:43-45 (CSB)

This leads to the question, “What is stored up in my heart?“

I don’t know about you, but I want to be known by good fruit. The fact of the matter is that we cannot overflow into others for Jesus if we are producing bad fruit.

The older I get and the more I follow Christ, the more I realize that His ways are not the ways of this world. In reality, they are the exact opposite! In many ways, following Christ is a large unlearning of sorts. Our culture encourages us to speak death over ourselves and others, but we don’t always see it that way. In fact, sometimes we try to justify the words that we throw back at people because we have been hurt in that same way. If we are not careful, we will spill over with that hurt, and death will overflow from our tongue.

In that same chapter, Jesus explains that if we want to live a life that overflows with good fruit, then we need to understand that we need to deny ourselves—our sinful ways—and follow His perfect way.

“Blessed are you who are poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man.” But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.”

Luke 6:20-22, 24-26

Maybe you are asking the question, “What does good overflow look like?”

Love those who hate you. Do good to those who do evil to you. When someone speaks evil over you, your speech should bless them. Pray for those who mistreat you. If someone hits you or steals from you, don’t retaliate—offer them even more. Give beyond generously, and don’t expect anything in return. Whatever you would want others to do to you, do the same to them.

These aren’t my suggestions—this is what Jesus tells us (Luke 6:27-31). Whether your memory brings you back to the playground days or you are struggling with destructive words spoken to you last week, remember the words spoken over you by the One who set the stars in their place. His ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts, and more often than not His words are not our words. When we live for Christ—when we practice His ways, think His thoughts, and especially speak His words—we will live a life of overflow. Try it, you can’t lose.