THE POWER OF WORDS

Our Sunday School class is studying a book by Don Everts, God in the Flesh.  This is at least the third time I have read this book and the second time I have used it as a study.  Why this book?  What do I find so great about it?

Let’s start with the title of this week’s blog: The Power of Words.  Words are powerful and can cause unexpected emotions, strange actions, and give hope. 

We often tell our loved ones that we love them.  But the word love is thrown around and sometimes becomes something that is barely heard.  What would be the reaction if we said: “I cherish you.” “I respect you.” “I honor you.”  Ahh, “I cherish you.” would cause a person to take note.  Cherish - a word rarely heard - will make them realize you hold them in your heart. 

Some words cause instant fear: Cancer   Accident   Hopeless   Death  These words are frightening because they are things we cannot control.  There are words which will make you breathe a sigh of relief. 

• Cancer – survivor
• Accident – they are okay
• Hopeless – the situation is changing
• Death – everlasting life 

Yes, words have power and that is why the book, God in the Flesh, is so good.  This book will help you see Jesus in new ways.  Before the class started reading the book, I asked them to describe Jesus.  They came up with 61 words.  Every word was a word you have heard before.

• Teacher, Master, Baby, Poor
• Judge, Healer, Protector, Merciful
• Counselor, Performed Miracles, Risen

The class was later asked to describe the tools Satan uses to pull us away from God:

• Hobbies, Anger, Insecurity, Addictions
• Illness, Jobs, Money, Family, Friends
• Church, Outside activities, Doubt

As we study, they are to write down new words to describe Jesus.  We are just starting this but a few new descriptive words are beginning to appear:

• Rebel, Surprising, Unifying (both his friends and enemies)
• Amazing, Different, Intense, Determined

I love the new description of Jesus as rebel and surprising!  Jesus could defend his Father’s House by clearing out the money changers and also have such compassion for a mother whose son had died that He raised her son from the dead.  He could be off praying, when everyone was looking for him so he could continue teaching, healing, and casting out demons in their town, and he would tell the disciples they were going to go somewhere else.  He was determined!  He was determined to follow HIS agenda.

What words will the class come up with during the rest of the study?  I have no idea, but my goal is to get them to see Jesus as God in the Flesh.  To picture the what, where, why, and who of his actions.  To realize the impact Jesus made and not to keep him in a box defined by the standard descriptions, but to take that box and fill it with new descriptions.  Descriptions like rebel and surprising and intense presence.

Now, back to the words you use.  Is it time to look around you and find new words?  Instead of telling someone they look nice, what could you say?  (Be specific.  To show you really see them, comment on a lovely scarf or pin or tie.)  Instead of the God created a beautiful world, what could you say?  (Thank you for the refreshing breeze.)  Instead of describing your church as friendly with a good message, what could you say?  (You would like our church, we laugh.  We laugh a lot!)

Why is this even important?  Because when you quit using the old standard words everyone uses, you have to stop and take a deeper look.  And when you take a deep look, you see your loved ones, your friends, and the world in a whole new way.  And when you take a deep look at Jesus, you find a whole new vocabulary to describe him.

This week, look beneath the surface.  Look deep.  Use new words.  You might be surprised what you find and how people react.