It’s most likely common knowledge. You probably know this already. This is nothing new. Yet, I feel like I need to say it anyway:

Your words matter.

You see, words have power. The power to encourage or the power to tear down. The power to wound or the power to heal. The power to cause fear or to cause fear to run.

Whether you realize it or not, every time you say or write something your words have an effect on your audience.

It could be a conversation with your spouse that is edifying and beautiful or it could be an argument with your spouse where you blast them for their insufficiencies.

It could be a Facebook post you write that rips into someone else for what you think is some wrong that has been done to you, or it could be a note of encouragement that you send to someone who you know has been having a rough week.

Be careful. What you say (or write) betrays what’s on your heart. Luke 6:45 says:

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

That’s pretty self-explanatory. Your mouth shows the world what you’re putting in your heart. Garbage in, garbage out. Or … gratefulness in, gratefulness out. It’s your choice.

Pay attention to what you’re saying. Your words have the power to destroy or call forth life. What effect would you rather your words have?

Every day on my way to and from work I drive on a bridge over a lake. It’s not the shortest way to get to where I need to go. It’s actually kind of out of the way if I’m being honest.

But I take that route on purpose. It’s an intentional choice.

As the tree-lined road opens up and I burst forth onto the bridge my mind and heart do something that they don’t usually do for the majority of the day: they give way to gratefulness. My mind stops churning on whatever thing I was thinking about. My heart stops and catches a glimpse of something beautiful. I am instantly drawn out of all of “my” things and into the heart of Someone who cares about me. When I’m in His heart, I can’t help but be grateful.

When I take the time to think about it, I really am grateful for so many things. For my wife and my children. For my family and friends. For a God who loves me. For all that I get to be and do and hear and see.

My commute, one way, is around 30 minutes. That ride across the bridge maybe takes one. But in that one minute my world is put back in the right perspective and my heart breathes again.

Almost every day, no matter the weather, I am reminded of what beauty looks like. I am once again refreshed. I can’t help but be grateful.

Gratitude changes everything.