The Power of Negative Words
Issue #0065
Words harshly spoken or recklessly thrown into the living room of your marriage, land hard.
They are hard to undo, and they cannot be unheard. They not only land with a loud thud, but like dust they seemingly settle into every corner and crack. Therefore…
be wise. Be careful with the words you speak into your marriage.
Consider the cost of negative words to the relationship. Hit the pause button before you speak thoughtlessly. I love this quote by Dr. Sharon May of the Safe Haven Relationship Counseling Center:
“Marriage is a I’ll think about it (again) before I say it – kind of relationship.”
In Great Marriage, each spouse carefully thinks before speaking and considers the cost of negative/harmful words.
If you find yourself pondering negative thoughts and/or speaking negative words into your marriage, ask yourself why? Take the time to prayerfully consider what is shaping and/or influencing your words. Is it your schedule? Your attitude? Is it unhealthy, unclear, or unmet expectations? Find out. Ask God to guide you to see the root cause of the ugly, negative words that leave your mouth. I’m also fond of this sentence from my own journal:
“Bitterness anchors in the heart and lies in wait on the end of the tongue.”
In Great Marriage, each spouse is intentional about correcting reckless/harmful words, and they avoid normalizing the damage they cause.
Do not be deceived into thinking that you can throw words like trash into the living room of your marriage and not create a space that smells and feels like garbage and rot. Be wise. Take great care with your words.
Blessings,
Jo
Consider the following Scripture:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Proverbs 19:14
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29