Be careful what you say . . .

Source

 Today we're talking about the way we use our words and unless you've been living under a rock your entire life, I'm sure you've heard of the saying, 

"Be careful what you wish for (or say), it just may come true."

Or have said,

"Don't say that, you'll jinx me!" 

These may seem like everyday common sayings to most of us, but if it were that simple, why do they hold so much weight? 

As a society, we really truly believe that words spoken against us or another holds significant consequences and rightfully so.

In Proverbs 18:21 were told that:

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

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Or in The Message translation:

"Words kill, words give life; 

they're either poison or fruit-you choose. 

Did you ever know such common sayings could come from the Bible? You'd be surprised at how many more originate there. 

Everyday whether we like it or not, we interact with others. Of course our modes of communication have changed, but the words we send out are still just as powerful. Think of a time when someone said something hurtful, made an unnecessary dig, or maybe even shot down your dreams. 

How much weight did those few little words carry in your life?

Do the words still haunt you? Did it make you change the course of your life? Or did it simply just make you angry and hurt?

While these feelings are still fresh, I want to challenge you to be careful what you let come out of your mouth from now on.

 Or in another sense, put a filter on it!

What I've learned the hard way many times is that once I let something slip from my mouth I can never get it back. Whether it was a wise cracking joke, an angry explosion of word vomit, or simply stating that "I think I'm getting sick," I can never go back and reclaim those words.

You see, words have a lot of power and once we speak them they take on a life of their own. 

For example, have you ever caught a case of the sniffles and then proceeded to proclaim to everyone around you that you were catching a nasty cold?

What happened the next morning?

If you're anything like me, the more I proclaim I'm catching a cold, the worse it becomes. It's so strange because if I feel something coming on, take some vitamin C, and then leave it at that, the symptoms seem to vanish; no nasty cold for me. The exact opposite happens when I feel the symptoms coming on and then I moan and complain about how I'm getting sick. More times than none, I get sick!

How about going in for the job interview of your dreams. 

You want the position so bad, you can taste it! As you're getting ready to head out for the interview you call a friend for some last advice. Your friend not really thinking much of it proceeds to tell you that you'll do okay but the job your applying for is way above your qualifications. They may or may not have meant you any harm in saying it, but what did it just do for your confidence? If you're at all normal, it most likely deflated it. As you drive to your interview, you begin to internalize those simple words.

Are you good enough?

Should you have even applied?

And on and on your mind spins until you meet with the interviewer and totally bomb.

So much for your dream job right?

I could go on and on, but the point is . . .

Be careful of the words you speak of yourself and others. If you speak badly of yourself, bad things are sure to happen. If you speak bad of someone else, again bad things are going to happen. 

Words are powerful so always let yours be uplifting and inspiring to those you come into contact with. You never know when they could come back to bite you.