Saturday, August 4, 2012

How our words affect our emotions

"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
Photo courtesy lusi, rgbstock.com

Have you ever noticed that when you say something nice about your - spouse, friend, co-worker, neighbor, church that you like them a little bit more, but if you say something negative about them, you like them a bit less?

Our words matter. They not only affect how we feel about others, even when we're only speaking to ourselves, but they influence the feelings of others who hear us speak...especially our children.

Have you ever been influenced by the negative comments of other?
How can you counteract the effects of negative comments spoken in your presence?
Will you be more careful about the words you speak, now?

Leave a comment with your thoughts.




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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

3 comments:

Reformed rebel said...

Oh yes...the spoken word really makes a difference in our lives! When people say nice things to me, or about me, I go away from the conversation all built up! We definitely need to chose our words carefully...especially with our kids.

Blessings...Chelle

Anonymous said...

How true!! If we focus on the negative we find ourselves liking that person less and less. But as we search for and recognize their good qualities we are more likely to value them in the way that God does. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the things that bother us that it becomes difficult to see the good qualities that God instilled in them.

Jan Christiansen said...

Discovered today that this principle works not only with how we feel about people, but how we feel about challenges in our lives. I'm in the process of writing a novel and spent yesterday stuck at a particular place in the plot. Found myself saying "I can't do this." which led to feelings of defeat. Today I met with some friends, who spoke words of encouragement and right away, my spirits lifted. I went back to the novel and things started falling into place.

Words really do affect us!

Chelle and Tresa for dropping by and taking a minute to let me know that I'm not the only one who experiences this.

Blessings
Jan