How Words Create Worlds Through God’s Design
Words Create Worlds
God spoke this world into existence. That’s how the Bible begins. God said, “Let there be light,” and BOOM! There was light, then water, land, animals, plants, and solar systems. From the sub-atomic to the galactic, God’s words created worlds. So do yours. Your words are more than symbols or emotions, more than logic or propositions. They become artistic creations such as plays, sonnets, and poems. They create concrete realities such as business, education, policies, and coaching. They broker the most important realities of romance, ethics, and faith. All of these are created with words. Words are far more powerful than we imagine. Consider this: Jesus, before he was Jesus, existed with God (as God) as logos (John 1:1–3). That is the Greek word for “word.” Colossians 1:16 declares: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
Words Create Worlds Through Timing and Encouragement
Time it Right
“To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” (Proverbs 15:23). It’s always the right time for encouragement, but still, some times are more strategic than others. You’ve probably been coached to criticize in private and praise in public. This is most important with your boss, spouse, and kids. There are seasons when people require extra love or patience—puberty, grief, sickness, or distress. If a friend gets divorced, fired, or loses a child, the right word at this time will go further and last longer. When a family member gets diagnosed, has an accident, or moves away, “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Proverbs 25:25). Timing matters.
Using Words Create Worlds Through Specificity and Wisdom
Make it Specific
Malcolm Gladwell did a fascinating podcast on which genre of music is the saddest: country or rock? He found that country was sadder by far. Why? Because it’s more specific. Rock stars come from all over the globe; country singers hail from two primary cities: Nashville and Austin. There are others, of course, but the geographic similarities make their metaphors far more specific. When you can write a whole song around a red Solo cup, that’s tangible! Greater specificity makes songs sadder. It also makes encouragement brighter. Rather than vague phrases such as “I appreciate you more than you know,” recall a specific action you observed. Express how it made you feel or what effect it had on others: “You are insightful / a team-builder / self-aware / sensitive / organized / detailed / etc.” These specific descriptors add power to your encouragement.
Words Create Worlds Through Righteous Living
Righteous
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. —Proverbs 4:18 It turns out that doing the right thing for people is profitable. Companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 21 percent more likely to outperform their peers in terms of profitability, and those with ethnically diverse teams are 33 percent more likely to have better-than-average profits. Closing the racial wage gap in the United States could add an estimated $2.1 trillion to the U.S. economy annually through consumer spending, investment, and overall economic activity. That says nothing of the economic advantage of access to healthcare, education, and housing, which results in reduced healthcare costs for society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every $1 invested in public health programs saves $5.60 in health-related costs.
Words Create Worlds Through Self-Control and Integrity
Self-Control
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. —Proverbs 16:32, NIV In her book, The Cost of Control, Sharon Miller describes how little we have control over. We have no control over the weather, the economy, politics, culture wars, or even our bodies. Yet we try to control them all as if we were God—a problem that goes back to our primordial parents. When we try to wrestle control from God’s hands, there’s a high cost. Miller makes two striking observations. First, every time we try to take control over a relationship or an event, we make matters worse. She labels this a Faustian deal with the Devil, because control promises us what it can never deliver. We can’t change people or the future. Our attempts to manipulate only lead to tension and resentment. Second, she points out that while we don’t have control, we do have agency. We can take responsibility for ourselves and our responses.
Words Create Worlds Through Moral Choices
Adultery
Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? —Proverbs 6:27–28 It was a moment of unusual vulnerability as I rode with Skip through the hill country just north of San Antonio. He was a seasoned pastor in his thirties. I was a rookie pastor in my mid-twenties. There were very few people and rare circumstances in which I would feel comfortable asking this question. Skip was a straight shooter and a down-to-earth pastor. I had been having invasive thoughts about what it would be like to have an affair. I had no plans or any person in mind. It was just the wandering imagination of a young man with two small children underfoot.
