“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

—Mother Teresa

When you consider the beauty of the world around us, the details that make up a simple flower or the vastness of the ocean, it’s easy to forget that it all started with a word. In the book of Genesis, creation began when God spoke. This should illustrate to us the power and importance of our words. Instead, our words often look very different from the life-giving words God spoke to the darkness when the world was born.

The Bible is clear on the power of our words and our responsibility to use words as a way of edifying those around us. The Bible even states in Proverbs 18:21 that the tongue has the power of life and death. This year, we encourage you to use kind and edifying words to nurture others, and also to nurture yourself. Often, we’re nicer to other people than we are with ourselves. We shouldn’t speak or think about ourselves in any way that doesn’t reflect what is in God’s mind about us.

This week, try to cultivate the habit of using your words wisely by:

• Giving your significant other a compliment.
• Telling your child or parent, “I love you.”
• Writing an encouraging note to a friend who’s struggling.