There is power in words. They have the ability to build us up or tear us down. They have the ability to give life to or cast doubt on someone struggling. This isn’t anything new to you or me. How many times have we been encouraged by something a friend has said to us? How many times have we been challenged by a speech or sermon? How many times have we been crushed by a quick and harsh reaction from a family member?

In Proverbs 18:21 it says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” It is up to you and me how we will talk to others. Will we speak a kind or hard word? Will we encourage life or foster death?

As a writer and journalist I’m fascinated by words, their meaning and use. I’m the girl who enjoys looking up the definition of a word for the sole pleasure of knowing its etymology. I’m the girl who loves copy editing and explaining the reason why a certain change should be made. It’s something that excites me in an odd way. I mean, really, I have three different style books in my office that I reference on a regular basis!

It was a couple weeks ago that I began thinking about prefixes. These little guys are powerful! You know what they are – the scant few letters we affix before a word to modify a its meaning. They make a word negative, positive, repetitive, supportive and more. How incredible is it that just two or three letters have such an impact on a word!

Take a look for yourself…
    Remember
    Encourage
    Enclose
    Revive
    Undo
    Disappear
    Envision
    Devalue
    Extraordinary
    Revitalize
    Intersect
    Prevent
    Translate

What a reminder that the words we choose have that same ability! We hold the power to bring chaos or order, discord or partnership, mistrust or life to those around us. Let’s choose life! Let’s remind ourselves that it’s the small things each day – the words we speak, the smile we share, the hand we extend – that make the difference between life and death. It’s a choice and it’s ours to make!

P.S. Forgive any grammatical errors…remember, your words have power! 🙂