Word Count: The Responsibilities Of Our Utterances

Introduction:

Welcome my friend, 

Indeed, it's good that there's no word limit to our conversation, so that we can share this time together, expressing ourselves freely and relating to each word in our unique way; from the lens of our respective stories. 

However, hypothetically speaking, if we had a word limit for each day and on a certain day this scenario plays out:

Let's say we have just four (4) words left for the day for which we've reserved to tell someone else to “Please, serve me food”. 

Then on our way out, another person upsets us so badly that we go on to utter “man, you are stupid” consequently using up the words for our food. 

Not many of us would behave this way. 

This is because despite being annoyed we can restrain ourselves from cussing out since we understand the impact it'd have on our next meal. 

Yet this is a mere illustration, and in the real world we'd have enough freedom of words to abuse anyone as much as we'd like to, before going on to get our food.

So what's the point? 

Truth is, the reason we say all sorts of things without caution is because we don't run out of words, else we would find ourselves intentionally trying to manage our words well. 

This is how we give value to them.

It's for this reason that the aim of today's conversation is to point us to ways we can show restraint in our choice of words by developing a mindset where we use them as if they're limited. 

Quite simply, it's a lesson on how we can exhibit self control in our utterances. 

Discussion: 

What a person says may not be as important as what they do, yet most likely, we can tell what a person is capable of, from what they say when they're real serious. 

Such is the significance of our utterances.

If we pay close attention when other's speak we're likely to make certain deductions about them, especially as it concerns the following; 

▪︎ Their Belief Systems 

The core of our beliefs in terms of what we consider: right and wrong, acceptable or unacceptable, true or untrue, would certainly show in the depth of our conversations.

When we defend injustice and unfairness we show ourselves to value survival over humanity and love. 

Our words also reveal our mindset and the quality of our thoughts. 

When we're always pessimistic and fearful, we show ourselves to lack the self confidence that comes from total faith in God. 

▪︎ Their Character 

When our words are consistent with our actions, we show integrity. 

When we make promises and keep them, we show that we're reliable. 

When we say hurtful words to people because we're angry, we show ourselves to lack discipline and patience. 

When we say things that belittle, mock and ridicule others, we show that we lack understanding and grace. 

▪︎ Their Value For Us 

To lie to a person is disrespectful because it shows that we neither care about their feelings nor have any value for their time. 

Also, the way we talk to a person when we're offended, reveals the depth of our love for them and how much we're able to tolerate and sacrifice for the sake of what we share with them.  

This is how we walk the talk.

■ How To Develop And Attach Value To Our Words 

For our words to be impactful it has to be meaningful, which means that even mere jokes can have simple messages attached to them, rather than emptiness and profanity.

Unless we desperately want to be the “life of the party” even at the expense of a friend's deepest emotions. 

When we use loved ones' secrets or known insecurities for silly jokes to entertain others, we show our insensitivity, lack of maturity and poor emotional intelligence. 

As servants of God we have a responsibility to be intentional with the words we say so that these words may: 

▪︎ Enlighten 

There are certain people that are willing to engage in conversations about fun and pleasures but suddenly go mute about sharing business opportunities. 

Are we this kind of people?

We add value to our words when we use them to educate those around us, teaching them something new. 

Things we learned by listening to other folks and confirmed by our own experiences. 

Most importantly, “wisdom and truth bring light to our lives, as the truth of God's love redeems us from the darkness of this world”

We have a duty to share this truth of His word with others. 

▪︎ Strengthen

Our words should encourage others, reminding them of all the possibilities found in the courage to persevere. 

When we tell someone that we're proud of their efforts we make them feel seen and motivated to keep showing up.

▪︎ Inspire 

Truth is bitter because it convicts us of our wrong doing not because it's mean or vile.

The only way our truth can have the impact of positive change is when it's spoken in a way that inspires remorse rather than stir resentment.

This is the relationship between truth and love.

■ Assessing The Motives Behind Our Words 

In the absence of discernment, we'll struggle to make the right judgement about a person by mere words. 

Some people have a way to tell us what we want to hear in order to deceive us into their will or swindle us out of our money and any such resources. 

Then there are other people whose words come with the intention of damaging the relationships we have with others. 

These are the kind of people that don't just hate but recruit other enemies to do the same.

When we accuse people falsely to make ourselves look good or magnify their little misdeeds in a way that it seems more consequential than it realistically is, we show our intentions to be ingenuine. 

We should always mean what we say.

Even compliments when offered to flatter lose its potency and purpose of making others feel good about themselves. 

Lastly, when we have intentions of keeping our words, we're hesitant to make empty promises knowing that our word is our bond.

Summary: 

As responsible adults, we're accountable for our words, reason even the law takes threats seriously. 

Everything we say has its implications, which is why we're always advised to think first before speaking, or as most people say “listen more and talk less”.

Most importantly, we're reminded that all human words are limited by death; hence the most relevant words we can ever tune our hearts to in all circumstances, are the forever living words of God. 

Master Apprentice.

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