For my first blog, expecting spelling and grammar train wrecks, I believe it is fitting to write concerning words. Words have such power; power to destroy, power to build, power to enlighten, and power to turn away. It is apparent that appropriate word choice to convey a message is extremely important, knowing your audience is important, and knowing the same word has different meanings to different cultures or world views is very important—a painful lesson I have learned time and time again in the inter-mountain west. What a waste, to have a pointed and even heated conversation to only in frustration learn that you were never conversing about the same thing because the words used held different definitions. Or to find your mouth agape words spilling out in a tumbled mess and in a crime of passion brutally say the right thing in the wrong manner, to the wrong person, and in the wrong context. So how do we deal with watching the words we use? Simple—Don’t Speak, listen. We see this in Proverbs; “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue”. But I jest. We are called to speak and teach but it must be done in godly love, bathed in biblical knowledge so that the tongue will commend knowledge and understanding building up those we mince words with.
