There is POWER in our Words, Actions, and How We Treat Others!

It is hard to believe how much weight and power our words, actions, and how we treat others has. We can easily forget that we as Christians are the light in a world full of darkness. Let's look on how and why these things have so much power.

There is Power in our WORDS.

Have you ever been told something that REALLY stuck with you? Whether it be good or bad, you can distinctly remember that conversation and the words spoken. Maybe it was something your parent, coach, teacher, or friend said. We naturally remember those words others spoke to us. So we know that those words can carry weight in our hearts and minds.

Proverbs 12:18 says,"Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing."

What does that mean? In a nutshell, scripture is saying that harsh or mean words have the ability to cut our hearts like SWORDS! Have you ever been told something that really hurt your feelings, made you upset, or made you angry? Those are the swords that scripture is talking about, the words we don't fully think about before saying out loud. In the same way, words of the wise, meaning kind words, can bring healing, life and love into our lives. Have you ever been told a compliment or received encouragement that felt so good to hear and just made your day? These words make us feel loved, wanted, and appreciated. The problem is that both words carry the same weight, the power to either hurt or heal others. So what does this mean for us? Knowing that our words have power, we must choose them wisely! We must strive to be kind to others and point them towards Jesus with our words!

There Power in our ACTIONS.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words”, what does that mean? I like to think of it like this; your friend promises that she won’t tell who your crush is to anyone at school, so you tell her. Then the next day, everyone at school knows and you feel so mortified, angry, and embarrassed. You then find out that your friend you thought you could trust was the one who told everyone! Naturally, you probably aren’t going to trust or really like her after that, right? Your friend's words did not align with her actions, and this ended up hurting you and your friendship. If the words we say aren't followed by the same action, do they really mean anything at all? Let's look at what the Bible has to say..

1 John 3:18 says, "My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring."

Scripture clearly states that your actions can carry the same weight if not more than your words! When you make a promise to friend, say you're going to do a favor, or commit to a team, not following those words with actions can hurt the people around you. Be careful with your words, because your actions should align with them as well!

There is Power in HOW WE TREAT OTHERS

The combination of our words and actions. The creation of an everyday behavior and reputation. This idea seems simple, but when diving into the power of our words and actions, it seems to be a little more difficult than we thought. Let's look at how the Bible says we should treat others...

Luke 6:31 says, "Do to others as you would like them to do to you."

The golden rule! I am sure we have all heard our parent, coach, teacher, or friend tell us this when we may not have been acting our best. The reality is this rule is applied throughout your entire life. From school to college to your job and forever! I will admit it is not always easy to treat everyone with respect and kindness at all times. Especially, when we do not get that same treatment back. Do you find it hard to be kind to people who aren’t kind to you? You are not alone! Although, the difficult part is that God calls us to love everyone.

John 15:12 says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

This one can be tough, "love others as I have loved you". God proclaims his love for us over 300 times in the Bible. Not to mention he sent his one an only son to die on a cross so we could have a relationship with Him! That is some pretty intense love to live up too. The fact of the matter is that it can be hard to love others sometimes. Although it's not an excuse, those people who are hurting you may have something going on at home, in school, with friends or in their heart that is causing them to not be as kind. We must take into account that we do not always know what someone is going through. The Lord calls us to love others, but also warns us to watch who we hang out with.

As Christians, we can be a light to others by how we treat them and maybe change their heart forever! Not only should we treat others with kindness because we wanted to be treated the same way, but we should be kind to everyone because that is what God calls us to do!

Questions to think about:

• What is an example of a time someone told me something that was unkind? How did it make me feel?

• What is an example of a time someone told me something that was kind? How did it make me feel?

• Are my words bringing light and hope to others?

• Do my actions align with my words?

• How can I be sure my actions align with my words?

• How do I treat others on a day to day basis?

• How can I change someone's life by how I treat them?

I pray this message has stirred up something in your heart and the Lord leads you to growth! I pray that we as people can learn the impact of our words, actions, and how we treat others. I pray for life change to those who need our kindness most!

With Lots of Love,

Georgia Zeleskey