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An opinion piece recently published in The Wall Street Journal by Matthew Hennessey observed:

“I’ll bet it’s been a while since you heard someone in public life described as classy. The word, and what it represents, has gone AWOL. The culture has time only for outrageous characters—F-bombers, exhibitionists, interrupters, slobs. The sublime has given way to the garish, the sacred to the profane.”

It may not be an overstatement to say: as the words in a society go, so goes the society.

From the very beginning of Scripture, we see the power of words. In Genesis, God gave Adam a sacred task:

“Whatever [he] called each living creature, that was its name.”

Our words are like lenses—shaping how we and others see the world around us.
Give yourself over to ugly words, and the world will seem ugly.
Speak with constant criticism, and everything will appear flawed.
But speak with beauty, and you will beautify the world around you.
Use words that blaze a path for truth and honesty, and you will live in what is truly real—rather than in a fog that distorts it.

The book of James reminds us that our words must be set apart—dedicated to God—for them to be truly beautiful. We must surrender our speech to Christ, that He might be glorified through the very organ of power He entrusted to us: our voice.

So today, this week, this year—think about the words you will use.
Let Christ shape them.
Let them be beautiful.
Let them be wholesome.
Let them be authentic.
Let them be empowered by truth.

Grace be with you,
Mike Birbeck
John 1:1-5