Our Words Have Power
A Reflection on Imitating God, Following Christ, and Speaking Life
What a blessing it is to be alive in this season of the year. There is something special about the stretch of time when Thanksgiving flows into Christmas, and Christmas rolls into the New Year. These holidays are packed together, and with them come reflection, gratitude, celebration, and hope. It is a time when people naturally pause to think about what has been, what is, and what is yet to come.
It is during this season that I want to focus on a truth that is both simple and profound: our words have power.
Not symbolic power.
Not imaginary power.
But real, life-shaping, direction-setting power.
Words shape atmospheres. Words shape hearts. Words shape beliefs. And over time, words shape lives.
A Lesson from an Unexpected Place
Before diving into Scripture, let me start with a metaphor that many of us can relate to: sports.
I was teasing and going back and forth with some believers before a meeting about my Chicago Bears. For years—years—they were hard to watch. Poor management, poor execution, and constant losing had created not just a bad team, but a defeated mindset. They didn’t just lose games; they began to believe they were losers.
Then a new coach came in at the beginning of the year. He’s a younger man with a sharp offensive mind, and more importantly, he knows how to lead. One of the things that stands out most about him is not just his play-calling, but his words.
After every game—win or lose—he repeats the same mantra:
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest until the good gets better and the better gets best.”
That message has been spoken so consistently that the players have bought into it. And it shows.
Sports, at times, can be a powerful metaphor for life. Things can change—sometimes dramatically—based on the words that are spoken, believed, and repeated. Words don’t just describe reality; they help create it.
A Fifth-Grade Teacher Who Changed Everything
For me, the power of words became real long before adulthood.
I still remember my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Raffels.
There was no practical reason for her to still be teaching. She could have retired years earlier. She lived far out in the suburbs, yet every day she traveled to the South Side of Chicago to teach at Garrett A. Morgan Elementary School.
When I entered her classroom, I was, at best, floundering. I did not have the academic confidence or consistency to succeed in a school setting. But Mrs. Raffels saw something I couldn’t see yet.
Her words—what she spoke over me, what she believed about me, what she consistently reinforced—changed the entire trajectory of my life.
She loved the task of teaching. She could have stayed in the suburbs, taught in a comfortable environment, and retired quietly. Instead, she brought her gifts where they were most needed.
There are many of us who can point to a single person whose words became a turning point. Mrs. Raffels was that person for me. She was the fulcrum—the point of change.
That is the power of words spoken with purpose.
Made in God’s Image: Why Our Words Matter
As believers, we must understand something foundational: we are made in God’s image.
Just as the first Adam was created in God’s image, those of us who are born again now carry God’s essence within us. Scripture makes this clear.
Ephesians 5:1 says:
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.”
The word followers means imitators. We are called to imitate God—to reflect His nature, His character, His actions.
Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of what that looks like. As the Son of God walking on the earth, He showed us how a human life fully aligned with God operates.
In John 5:19, Jesus says:
“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.”
This doesn’t mean Jesus was passive or inactive. It means His actions were always connected to the Father.
The word “see” here comes from the Greek blepō, meaning:
- to discern
- to perceive
- to understand mentally
Jesus discerned the Father’s will through deep knowledge of the Word and complete dependence on the Spirit.
The same is available to us.
We can align our actions, thoughts, and words with God. Where we have gaps, the Spirit of God fills them. Where we lack understanding, He provides discernment. Where we struggle, He gives strength.
“With God” Does Not Mean “Do Nothing”
Sometimes people misunderstand faith. They say, “Well, God will do it,” and then do nothing.
That is not biblical.
Faith moves. Faith acts. Faith believes—and God works with us.
Jesus said in John 6:38:
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
We discover God’s will by reading His Word. By studying Scripture, praying, and walking with Him, our thinking begins to align with His thinking.
In John 12:49, Jesus explains the source of His words:
“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”
Jesus was not a puppet. God was not forcing words out of His mouth. Jesus chose alignment. That alignment came through time in the Word, prayer, and relationship with the Father.
That same alignment is possible for us.
Our Words Can Uphold Others
With that foundation, we can now fully understand this truth: our words have power.
Job 4:4 says:
“Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.”
What a testimony.
Imagine living a life where that could be said of you—that your words helped someone stand when they were falling, that your words strengthened someone who could barely keep going.
We are called to be people like that.
I am deeply thankful to be part of a community with leaders who understand this. Leaders who know how to speak truth without fluff, encouragement without deception, and correction without condemnation.
Words spoken at the right time, in the right way, can change everything.
Words Shape Our Inner Life
Psalm 19:14 says:
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord.”
Words don’t begin at the mouth—they begin in the heart.
Psalm 119:28 reminds us:
“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.”
God strengthens us through His Word. That is why memorizing Scripture matters. That is why meditating on Scripture matters. When life presses in, what is stored inside comes out.
The Tongue: Small, but Powerful
James 3 gives us one of the clearest teachings on the power of words.
James warns that teachers are held to a higher standard—not because they must be perfect, but because words matter. And then he expands the lesson to everyone.
He compares the tongue to:
- a bit in a horse’s mouth
- a rudder on a massive ship
- a spark that can start a forest fire
Small things. Massive impact.
Words can direct an entire life.
I’ve seen this firsthand with my own daughter. Brilliant, capable, disciplined—yet she would talk herself into fear before exams. She would say she couldn’t do it, that it was too hard, that she would fail.
And then she would get an A.
Her words were working against the reality of her ability.
The truth is, we can have just as much “fun” speaking life as we do speaking doubt.
Controlled Words Bring Life
James also says no human can tame the tongue alone. And that’s the key: alone.
With God—through alignment with His Word and Spirit—our words can be disciplined, intentional, and life-giving.
Proverbs 15:23 says:
“A word spoken in due season, how good is it!”
Isaiah 50:4 adds:
“The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.”
Words spoken under God’s guidance heal, restore, correct, and encourage.
Outside of that framework, words can destroy.
Choose Life
Psalm 119:172 says:
“My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.”
Job 23:11–12 gives us a powerful closing example:
“My foot hath held his steps… I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
That is the goal.
As we move forward—especially in this season of reflection and hope—let us align our thoughts, hearts, and words with God. Let us speak life to ourselves and to others. Let us be imitators of God, followers of Christ, and vessels of encouragement in a weary world.
Because our words truly do have power.
Amen.
