Day 8 - Choices

Today's Scripture: Proverbs 12:11-23, 18:21

Today's Devotional: Words can hurt you and the right words can help heal you. Those words that crush and hurt you are known as toxic words. Toxic words are incredibly dangerous not only when they are spoken to you, but when you speak them to others. This week you will read from God's Word about the dangers of toxic words and the power of life-giving words.

Response by: Nick Baker

Every day we have choices to make.  Some choices are good:  I better not stick a penny in that light socket.  Others are bad:  Honey-scented deodorant in bear country?  Don’t mind if I do!  

Today’s scripture outlines consequences of good and bad choices.  Good:  Working hard will provide reward (12:11) … Positive words bring joy (12:18).  Bad:  If you act wicked or evil, you are in for a lot of problems in life (12:21) … Mean language will get you in trouble (12:13).

Some choices involve our words.  When you choose words that are positive and build people up, the both of you walk away feeling better.  On the other hand, when you choose words that are mean and tear people down, typically you’re both worse for the experience.

Consider a time when you spoke positive words to yourself.  How did you feel?  Pretty good…right?  What about a time you used hurtful words on yourself?  Still feeling good?  It’s not just important to use life-giving words with others.  Toxic words hurt just as much when you use them on yourself as when you use them with others.  If you can’t love yourself, it makes it pretty hard to love others.  If you constantly use negative words to beat yourself up, you can’t build up others.

Life and death can be dealt out by the words we use, and the choices we make will impact our future.  The writer in Proverbs is not simply referring to our physical life and death, rather the life and death of our hearts, souls, and spirit.  Whether we give “goodness” and “love” or “pain” and “hurt”, we will get as much as we give.

Something to talk about: What toxic words do you choose to use with others?  With yourself?  How does that compare with the life-giving words you choose to use with yourself?  Are you making the right choices?