Words matter

Do our words matter?  As a young mother I used a word that I had often heard among our neighbors to describe a child at a church gathering.  My friends gasped and noted their surprise that I would use that word.  When I got home, I looked it up and was shocked to learn its meaning.  Words used around us become part of our thinking and speaking.  It is easy to let our vocabulary drift from being purposeful to being mundane or thoughtless.

It is also easy to let our character “slip” when it comes to truth.  Do we recognize a lie when we hear one?  Do we recognize a lie when we tell one?  Is self-deception a regular part of our lives?

Sometimes it helps to look at another way to say the same thing.  A thesaurus gives you other words that have a similar meaning.  I have one in hard copy but there are several online.  If you have a word that you think should be used more, or used less, or don’t know the meaning of, look it up in either a thesaurus or a dictionary.  Clarifying the words we use can make a big difference in our lives!

Below is a puzzle of words that helped us understand the opposite of the word “truth”. Does working with these words stir an awareness of something that needs to change?