Friends! Can I be super REAL for a moment: WORDS STINK! I really dislike words! I dislike how I find myself using them to hurt instead of build up! I dislike how easy it is to not keep my tone in check! I dislike how I can RAISE the volume of my words or at the same time whisper such distaste for things. I DISLIKE WORDS!
But, then I think about the POWER of my words. My kids and I play this game where I will say, “Did you know I love you?” They will reply “Yes.” However, lately they have added more to their yes, they respond by saying, “Yes, but can you say it is again!” SO I say it again and again in a round until they have had there fill (which for me is never enough). They might think it is goofy and a silly game now (repeating over and over) but I pray the power of those words, I LOVE YOU, will always echo in their sweet little heads.
Words are powerful! There are so many great verses in the Bible with encouragement of watching our words, using wisdom when we speak, and that our words can build up or destroy!
I can feel like in this stage of my life my words are spilling out of my mouth, every second of the day I am correcting, talking, laughing, encouraging, disciplining, guiding, and redirecting. WORDS! WORDS! WORDS! And I think to myself, do they hear me? Or what words, tones, directions are they retaining? Do they have selective hearing? (Any moms out there feel me on that!? My kids hear me fine when it is time to eat but somehow don’t hear me when I let them know it is time to clean up.)
My prayer for me as a mom, would be that I would have discernment when I am speaking with my kids. That I would listen to the Holy Spirits guiding more than ME talking. That I would stop and reflect before I burst into WORDS! WORDS! WORDS!
Proverbs 25:11
Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.
What a beautiful picture I can see displayed when I read this verse that time and tone are everything when speaking with my kids (and my husband). I want to be the voice they hear in a world of other voices. I want to be God’s words extend to them so they can learn to listen and hear from Him.
Dear Father God, I pray you would give me discernment when I am speaking with my children. I pray I will be the timely voice, filled with love, grace and TRUTH! I pray I will be able to direct, train and teach while remembering not to personalize actions my kids make. I pray I will be able to listen more to your guiding and respond in a way that shows my kids your voice. Thank you for this calling of motherhood, and thank you for giving me the tools to train and love on my kids!
Join me in praying for this calling of being a mom! Let us all remember who to turn to for strength to use discernment and continue to pray for the tools needed to thrive!
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Lovely Post. Thank you for remining me to speak life to my kids. In the world we live in today, it is essential that our children hear these loving words from us as parents.
Amen! Yes thank you!
This makes me think of a story I heard of a science experiment a mom did with her two kiddos to determine the power of words. The filled two containers with water and rice. One they only spoke gentle loving words to. The other they spoke mean nasty words to. After two weeks that container was filled with mold. However the other container was still completely clear!!! Words have all the power to destroy or build up.
I completely agree! This would be a great lesson to try at home!