What Do We Bleed?

"Why does it take so long to realize that 
 the words you speak

bleed up through your skin making you

more becoming or more beastly?"

Ann Voskamp

 

When I read these words in Ann's post over at A Holy Experience today, they held my attention.  It was quite a visual for me....this bleeding up through my skin the results of my words.  Speaking grace and life or speaking death and hatred. 

 

In the past I have been concerned about what I speak, thinking I may hurt others with my words.  Most of the time it is a short sprint from what I am thinking to what is coming out of my mouth.  No lag time!  That can be good and that can be bad.  Reading Ann's post, I pondered it all and I had to ask myself, do I intentionally hurt others with what I say?  Oh, I pray not. 

 

There is the power of life and death with our words....and the Bible says those who love it will eat of their fruit.  What we say, the words we speak from out of our mouth carry an echo.  They give us air to breath or take that very breath away according to scripture.
 

There are those who intentionally harm others with their words. Vicious, vindictive, and with deadly force, they attack.  They think they are only hurting the one who receives their fiery darts dipped in venom,  and how surprised they will be to learn that they are chipping away at their very own souls with what comes out of their mouths. You cannot speak hatred and death without dying a little inside.  God is clear about that.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat it's fruits."

Proverbs 18:21

 

And what about the words we speak over ourselves?  When we talk about ourselves negatively the enemy smiles.  We are doing his work for him and he likes that.  When we speak against God's masterpiece ~the you and the me He shaped and created~ our hearts painfully listen...our bodies respond...our very cells are affected.  Powerful stuff isn't it?!

I expect all of us know the power of words.  When I was an Interpreter for the deaf, words came through the use of my hands, but they still had power.  When I use my prayer language, I do not understand what I am praying, but I feel the affects.  Power.   We see the power of words in a courtroom, a doctor's office, school, pulpit, or even on the playground. 

Truly language in any form is a gift given to us by a loving God.  We need to treasure it and take heed the warning God gives us in Proverbs.  We need to be aware because, as Ann says, and more importantly the Word warns, we bleed through the skin the words we speak shaping who we are.