The Power of Words: How God’s Speech Shapes Life and How Ours Should Too

Summary

From our first words as children, language shapes reality and relationships. Humans quickly learn to use words for comfort, control, or self-protection, often distorting the truth. God’s words, however, create, heal, and give life—from creation to salvation. Scripture calls believers to model their speech after God’s, using words not to manipulate or destroy, but to bless, encourage, heal, and bring wholeness to others.

The Gift of Speech from Birth

“Dadda!” is for fathers of young children in the U.S., the sweetest imaginable first two-syllable word. “Momma” is equally precious for mothers.

How We Learn Language and Its Influence

God created our brains speech-ready. We all learned to speak one or more of the world’s 7,100 languages the same way.¹ 

We learned sounds and developed the ability to distinguish them in whatever language we heard. We acquired skills in that language by hearing others speak it.

We gained an understanding of how sounds follow one another. We detected where word sounds began and ended. Finally, we used sounds to create sentences with words in the proper order.²

Discovering the Power and Danger of Words

We quickly learned about word power. Saying, “I love you!” to mom or dad reaped rich rewards.

Screaming hateful, angry words brought punishment and pain. We discovered that saying certain things prevented suffering, even though they were not true.

We were natural politicians. We spoke to maximize our comfort, power, prestige, and position. Our words often manipulate reality and people for our benefit.

They carried the stench of sin, not the perfume of truth. We were better at cursing than blessing. We were not at all like God in that regard.

Human Speech vs. God’s Life-Giving Words

God’s words are like hydroelectric power that lights millions of homes. Ours are more like sticks of dynamite that blow up rather than build up.

God’s Words Create, Heal, and Restore

God’s words powerfully shape reality to benefit people. He spoke creation into being (Genesis 1). He created an idyllic home for Adam and Eve.

He commanded, and the universe came into existence (Hebrews 11:3). Jesus told a disabled person, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8, NIV).

During a powerful storm, He told the sea to be still, and it became calm (Mark 4:39). Consistently, His words brought life, healing, encouragement, and wholeness. Ours must do the same.

The words of His gospel bring new birth to us who repent of our self-absorbed ways and trust God to deliver us from eternal death through the merits of His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Peter 1:23). As God’s words shaped creation, they shape how we are to live.

Shaping Our Words After God’s Truth

^“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, NIV). His words are the pattern for our words. Word power isn’t the ability to speak but to bless through words that bring life, healing, encouragement, and wholeness to others. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.   #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources

1.      How many languages are there in the world? | Lingua.edu

2.      How Do Babies and Young Children Learn Language? (verywellfamily.com)

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 7,541 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 17,361 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting. 

Photo: Image Creator (microsoft.com)