Favorite Colors
Pink is my granddaughter's favorite color. She had been telling me this since she first discovered colors. One night, as she chatted away, she added that yellow was another one of her favorite colors. When had this color been added? What caused this change in opinion? I knew she was growing up, and people often change their thoughts on such matters. Possibly there was an underlying cause for this announcement.
Oh yes, she had a good reason for adding yellow. When she went to music class, Mrs. Cooke, the music teacher told her she was a bright yellow crayon, bright as the sun. This is a wonderful description of my grandchild! The teacher was right. Alex, as her family calls her, is a bubbly, cheerful, child. Truly, she is a bright ray of sunshine.
Words have such power. A small statement made by her teacher had truly inspired my granddaughter. It made her even list yellow as her favorite color. I doubt Alex will forget the teacher's kind remarks. This made me think of the words I say. Do I say kind, encouraging, inspiring words to others? God's Word certainly tells us to do so.
"The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up." ( NKJV)
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." ( KJV)
In this world we live in, the negative is spoken so often. As a child, I had heard that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That statement is not true. In fact, words may not break our bones, but they certainly can damage our spirits.
God is Spirit and Truth and even the truth needs to be spoken in love according to God's Word.
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, ..." ( NIV)
When we need correction, NO and NOT are wonderful words of warning and correction. God uses these words in the Ten Commandments. These are words spoken for a reason, given in love, to keep us safe and in God's will. However, negative words, used without love, may be more harmful than physical hurts.
We can get sick or break a bone, but our bodies can eventually be restored to health. We can forget the pain we felt. Ask any mother if she remembers the pain of childbirth. Often she will not, but she will remember the joy of the birth of her child. On the other hand, we can remember the hurtful words spoken to us by someone we love. It sometimes takes more time to heal from unkind words spoken in anger than for our bodies to mend physically.
At church one Sunday, our pastor divided the congregation into two groups. Each side read the Bible, speaking words from scripture to the people on the opposite side of the room. It was one of those wonderful moments that made me once again see how wonderful God's Word is to us.
The Bible is full of encouraging, wonderful words of promise to each of us. Can we, who are made in God's image, begin to speak words in truth and love to each other? My desire is that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to God. I wish to speak words of encouragement and inspiration to others, much like the music teacher spoke to my granddaughter.
Yellow will always be a favorite color for my granddaughter — the color of sunshine — much like God's words to us. They make us come alive!
Copyright © Kathy Schultz, used with permission.
