Power of Words

If you were to record the words to your children into two columns today, what would it show?  In one column, include the words of blessing or encouragement you shared and in the other words of condemnation, cursing, name calling, etc.  I am reading The Family Blessing by Rolf Garborg and this past week I was reading a few chapters from the book.  He shares the following verse from Proverbs 18:21:

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

He writes that not only is a daily blessing of our children important, but it also important to consider the words we use throughout the day.  Previously, I have written about blessing my children with words from Numbers 6 or Ephesians 1.  These words remind them who they are and whose they are.  But he challenges us as parents to think about all of our words.  Proverbs reminds us that our words can be also death to our kids.

What does this look like?  He talks about nicknames which can be slow, stupid, stubborn, difficult, sassy.  Even the names given to them at school or in the workplace can hurt our kids.  We, as parents, need to be speaking "life"into our kids on a regular basis.  As I worked on my columns, I realized that even though I used words of blessing at night, I had at times during the day used nicknames or harsh words when frustrated.  I am thankful for the reminder of this verse and that I have the opportunity to start over this morning.