Choose your words carefully. You never know what kind of impact that you are about to make in someone’s life. As a minister, I have heard everything. As a police chaplain, I have been called everything. That is a bit of a stretch, but it is not too far off from the truth.

People’s verbal reactions to sermons can sometimes be amusing, and other times not so entertaining… A number of years ago a colleague received the following reaction in the church foyer after a sermon:
The lady walked out and said: I have heard good preaching and I have heard bad preaching, but you are the worst. All of us knew that she was unstable, but such a comment still bites.

This morning I received some verbal feedback that I will treasure always. One of the ladies at church told me that she was as proud of me, as if I were her own son. That is a very kind thing to say for beginners! I am not sure that she realized the significance of what said. My mother has been deceased for almost 18 years. Even 47 year old men still yearn to hear praise from their mother. The word of encouragement I heard this morning cut pretty deep. It was meaningful and touching.

Unfortunately we frequently don’t know much about each other’s stories. Consequently we end up saying things that are insensitive or foolish unknowingly. I studied under a history professor years ago as an undergraduate student who stated in the classroom how he was not at all attracted to Asian women. He was saying this in the context of being a part of the military forces in Japan in the aftermath of World War II. It was a very inappropriate thing to say. Little did he know…there was an older student in the class who was married to a woman of Korean descent. The man was highly offended by the professor’s unnecessary comments. The professor knew so little about the man’s story.

Conversely we can also say things that cut to the heart in a positive manner without ever knowing it. I am proud of you as if you were my son…. She will never know what that meant to me, and that is fine.

I would challenge us this week to communicate warmth and encouragement in ways we have never thought of before. Hearts could be touched in ways that we have never imagined. If we do nothing else this week, let’s choose our words very carefully!