“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose”—Proverbs 18:21 (MSG).
As an avid reader and writer, words are my tools. I’m a wordsmith by choice. My writing style and genre choices have changed through the years. I have matured, not by my might, but by God’s grace.
The spoken word, just like the written word, can kill the soul or bring life to one that is starving. My words, I’m ashamed to admit, have done both. I am grateful God’s mercies are new each morning. Without Him, I’d be stuck in an endless cycle of regret.
However, I do not regret this path I now walk because it’s a journey of my Heavenly Father’s doing. I desire for my words to be a life-giving fountain of hope bringing encouragement to many. I want my words to be helpful and bring healing.
With the proliferation of social media, words are even more important. We say much but are our words designed to uplift or tear down? How many hit “post” or “send” without considering the consequences?
Recently, I came across an article titled “The 100 most beautiful words in the English language.” I saved the list because I love words. The article prompted me to look for the most beautiful words in the world. I came across a list of words that, according to the author of the article, “are a few instances where other languages have found the right word and English simply falls speechless.”
Intrigued by their meaning, I chose two words from this list. In Russian, the word “toska” refers to spiritual anguish with no apparent cause. Vladimir Nabokov, a Russian-American novelist, said, “No single word in English renders all the shades of ‘toska’. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, and yearning.”
On the other spectrum is a Japanese word, “Wabi-Sabi.” According to the website, “Much has been written on this Japanese concept, but in a sentence, one might be able to understand it as ‘a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.’”
Two words with vastly different meanings—one leaves us feeling hopeless; the other brings hope. For followers of Christ, our hope is found in Him. It is through Him that we can have eternal life.
Mercy is another beautiful word for Christ followers and is available to us each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 tell us, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Evangelist Billy Graham once said, “God’s mercy and grace give me hope—for myself, and for our world.”
With our words, we can speak life, blessing and encouragement to those around us today. What words are you speaking today?