“You can't hammer in a nail with words..No, but you can start a war with them.”

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa

Gospel Text: (LK 4:14-22)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

Words are often downplayed next to actions. Actions speak louder, as the saying goes. Even great saints are quoted as saying that words should only be a supplement to how we live our lives.

This may be true, but it doesn’t mean that we should discount words entirely

If you ever doubt that your words—even your smallest comments—have great power, think about the effects that negative words have. Were you ever made fun of as a child? Did anyone ever make an offhand remark that still stings? How long have they stuck with you? These negative comments can fall so carelessly from our lips. We might be quick to criticize or judge, without remembering how deeply words can hurt and limit a person’s potential. If negative speech can have such a profound impact, imagine how much more power your words of encouragement, appreciation, and affirmation can have!

Encourage your spouse and children and co-workers and neighbors. Thank the cashier at the grocery store. Try to make all of your words gracious. You never know—you may give the only encouragement that someone receives all day!