Reason To Believe

It was near the end of my senior year of high school, and I’d had a miserable semester. As I looked toward the blackboard, the lenses of my eyeglasses were scratched, my bangs hung in my face because I was in desperate need of a haircut, and I felt like a poster child for the down and out. Finally, my English teacher, Ms. Lucinda Nelson, handed back essays she’d assigned on the Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. She approached my desk and squatted down to look me in the eyes, and said, “You have potential as a writer.”

It was just six words, but they caused the clouds to part and the Hallelujah choir to sing. Suddenly, the girl with the scratched glasses who was too broke for a haircut had a chance. Ms. Nelson had no way of knowing, but her words would carry me through journalism school, enough rejection slips to wallpaper my kitchen, and finally, full-time employment as a writer. I don’t know how many times I recalled those words over the years, but I came back to them time and again.

It’s easy to forget our words have power. They have the potential to encourage and heal, and they can wound and destroy. Who among us hasn’t said something we regretted? And who hasn’t been on the receiving end of cruel words that we replay time and again in our minds? In a perfect world, we’d be able to manage our mouths and never say a negative or unkind thing again. But we live in a fallen world, and Scripture makes it clear that our mouths are going to be an ongoing problem. The book of James says:

“But no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness” (James 3:8-9).

We know this is true because, at some point, most of us have been “Exhibit A” for criticizing, gossiping, and trash talk. But just because we can’t tame our tongues doesn’t mean God can’t help us manage our mouths. And that’s why David prayed about his speech. He prayed, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). We’ll be wise to follow David’s lead. 

How would those closest to you describe your words? Would they characterize you as encouraging or critical? Grace-filled or condescending? Kind or smug? Helpful or sarcastic? Humble or boastful? Our words are powerful—they have the potential to heal or harm. May we be people who choose them carefully. I’ve looked for Ms. Nelson for years and have never found her, but I haven’t given up.  Ms. Nelson, if by chance you happen to read this—your words gave me a reason to believe—and for that, I thank you.