A professor was traveling by boat and as the boat set sail, he asked the sailor, “Do you know anything about Biology, Ecology, or Oceanology”?, to which the sailor answered, “No Sir” and then the professor yelled out, “What on earth do you know, then, as a sailor? You will die of illiteracy. ”After a while, a heavy wind developed, tossing the boat around, and the sailor made the situation look worse, using his expertise, and then turning to the professor asked him, “Do you know anything about swiminology and escapelogy from sharkology and crocodiology?”, to which the professor answered, “No.” “In that case”, said the sailor, “You are about to be eaten by sharks because of your mouthology and insultology”.
Holy Week has a lot to do with what was said on Palm Sunday by the crowd, and what they said on Good Friday; from “Hosanna Son of David” to “Crucify Him”. Scripture says, “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them” (Isaiah 50:4) and in another place it says, “Let every word that comes from your mouth be such that it will edify those who hear it.” (Ephesians 4:29). The power of words is something we all need to pay attention to, especially when it comes to talking to family members and brothers and sisters at large. Words matter and words are powerful. Words have the power to build or to tear down; to destroy or to reconcile, to degrade or to inspire; to castigate or to uplift, etc. Words can create emotions and cause actions that can shape the course of the destiny of families and family members.
On the personal level, it is important that you speak to yourself like someone that you love. Your words need to be positive, encouraging, motivating, uplifting, and capable of instilling belief and hope in yourself. Remember that your words become your world, for Scripture says, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. Let your words modulate your attitude and elevate your altitude as you go about the business of becoming.
On the family level, remember what Scripture says: "Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body" (Proverb 16:24). Words can be the power needed to push families and family members into their destiny; to make them healthier and stronger; and to reduce the stress within the structure. Family life is not just about money, hard work, and accomplishments; it is also about kind words that create, nourish, build, encourage, and strengthen the family and her members.
Therefore, let every word that we speak be words that uplift and never words that tear down; words that give others confidence in their abilities, lift them off the canvas if they have fallen, help them walk taller, and give them the capacity to do things that they couldn’t dream of doing by themselves. Families and communities count on their members to be healers, lifters, doers, and encouragers. Let us always be aware that our words can create a life-time positive or negative memory in the minds and hearts of those who hear it. Words can be forgiven, but they are rarely forgotten, and even when people forget our words, they seldom forget how we made them feel. Let us be lifters and encouragers instead of being castigators and detractors.
