Life Generating Words

While reading Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, it occurred to me the irony of how well that title describes the multitude of thoughts in writer’s minds. We enter a mental battlefield every time we sit down to write. While our thoughts press against a pliable wall of ideas, we must filter through them before a structured story can emerge in an intriguing manner. We delve into dictionaries and thesauruses in search of the perfect descriptive words that will capture our audience and make a difference.

We study, evaluate, rationalize, and think through all the critiques, recommendations, and guidelines in hopes of catching the attention of a publisher. Sometimes we even doubt our own ability to write a worthy piece—another internal battle.

Joyce Meyer stated, “Our thoughts become our words. Therefore, it is vitally important that we choose life-generating thoughts. When we do, right words will follow.” She is speaking about the power of our words in everyday life, and our spiritual lives. This could certainly be a motto when answering God’s call to write—that we choose life-generating thoughts so the right words will follow.

We pray our words will not disappoint the reader. Our very life-line is—words, so we strive to use them wisely. Now that we understand the power of our words when we write, we must also remember the power they have in our everyday lives. Pay attention to the words used to communicate with one another. Words speak volumes about us. Our words, whether verbal or on paper, portray personalities and attitudes, beliefs and convictions, approval and disapproval, acceptance and judgment, likes and dislikes.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21 (NIV). 

What we say can create varied emotions in our own lives and the lives of those around us. Words give us our voice. That’s why it is imperative to remember:

Words can hurt.                                  Words can heal.

Words can cause tears.                      Words can cause laughter.

Words can destroy.                             Words can restore.

Words can discourage                        Words can encourage

“For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” Luke 6:45 (NIV)

However creatively we write or speak, we desire our status as Christian writers to be held in high esteem, simply because we choose life-generating words.

Choose wisely my friends,

Loretta

Note: This is a blog post I wrote for the ACFW in November 2014