Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Have you ever said something that as soon as the words left your mouth you regretted saying it? It's likely happened to all of us at one time or another. Our words have tremendous power. They can build up or they can tear down. They can be used with a tone of love and compassion or they can be harsh and rude. Sometimes our words are too many and lose their impact. But sometimes the right word at the right time makes all the difference. We're told in Proverbs 25:11 that "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." We should be careful with what we say, and when we speak we should be mindful to build others up, offer hope, encourage, speak words of peace and goodwill, because words matter.