The engineering and construction have to be solid, or hundreds of lives may be lost. And yet, like most things, the time required to demolish the same bridge is a fraction of the time taken to construct it.
Then my mind jumped to relationships - and this thing called love. It's the same, isn't it? It can take years and scads of experiences to build bridges of trust in our relationships. Yet, often a word can decimate all that has been achieved.
Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (emphasis mine)
Most of us can work on this one, can't we? I know very few people who only speak words that are positive, helpful and encouraging. One of them is my husband. I learned very quickly, even I did not have a platform for negative speech - and it has made me a better person :).
What would our relationships be like if we followed this? If we simply honored one another in our speech? I remember one relationship in Jr. High I had to work very hard to rebuild, a boy who was a dear friend, simply because I was careless with my words. Hmm.
It's something to ponder, isn't it? Not that it's wrong to speak our minds... but how much more potent can we be when we speak our hearts? That's where love resides, right? Hmm...
More Verses on the Power of Words
James 3:9-12 (read this whole chapter - so good)
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