Thursday... Words, words have such power, they really do.

Thursday... Words, words have such power, they really do. We see it all over social media.

Proverbs 18:21 (MSG) says, "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose."

Now we can choose what we say but we can also choose how we respond to what is said to us. But our words have so much power.

I have a granddaughter who had a teacher last year that constantly said words to her that put her down to the point that it has been so hard for her to go back to school this year. Our words can be poison or fruit.

Social media is full of poison and fruit. I choose not to read the poison and I choose to be fruit. How about you? If I were you, I would unfriend all the poison. That is also a choice.

I love verse 6, It says, "The words of a fool start fights; do him a favor and gag him."

Paul over in Romans 12:2 (NLT) says, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

The MESSAGE Paraphrase says it this way, "Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity. God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Verse 17 (NLT) says, "Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." Even with those people who poison with their words.

And then verse 21 (MSG), "Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good." And there is great power in doing good by saying words that give life, that bear good fruit. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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