“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21

I recently watched a video come on my feed from the comedian Pete Holmes, and in this short clip, he spoke to the fact that words are spells that we cast on each other and ourselves. I love that imagery! Now, before anyone gets fundamental on me, it’s not evil, it’s a picture of the power our words hold. This comes straight from Scripture, and I believe it is a vital reminder to us every day.

The words we use are magic.

Life and death are in their power, and that should not be glossed over as we go about our lives.

There are memories I have of an encouraging word that have stuck with me through the years, and there are also memories of negative words spoken of me as well. The thing that we need to remember, is that our words have power, so we need to do the right thing and use it for good.

God has definitely been reminding me of this recently, culturally right now there is not a whole lot of encouraging going on. Lines being drawn and the ways we speak of others is making it easy to begin to forget that the person across from you is an image bearer. An image bearer, just like you.

So, do I want to judge others, or do I want to live as Jesus did?

Using your words to remind others that they are made in the image of God is magic.

It’s what Jesus did, He looked at every single person and reminded them that God made and loved them, and then He encouraged them to begin treating others the same way. That’s magic, to use a simple word of encouragement to positively change the course of someone’s life for the better.

Think about the people in your life that have encouraged you. Think about the times someone complimented something you did or wore. Think about the moments where someone told you they saw the spark in you that you didn’t even see in yourself. That changed you, right? This is the magic that comes from words, so use those words to remind others that they are image bearers made for so much more.

Using your words to remind yourself that you are made in the image of God is magic.

I am guilty of having negative self-talk. I tend to be harsh on myself or my flaws, and then when I speak that over myself, I often find that these fears are confirmed. A negative self-fulfilling prophecy cycle. I have to switch how I talk to myself too, because I too am an image bearer.

It’s not silly, it’s vital to your own spiritual journey, remind yourself that you are a child of God, that you are loved and saved, and that you were created to be a light.

God doesn’t want you to hate and talk down to yourself, He wants you to live in freedom and from that overflow, remind others that they too are made for greatness.

My word to you today is a challenge, how will you wield your power? Maybe it’s something as simple as complimenting someone’s outfit choice or sending a text to the person who popped into your head that you haven’t seen in a while. We were never created to use our words to bring death into someone’s life, we were created to use our words to bring life into a dead world.

I know personally, I need to get back to trying to encourage one person a day. Sure life has been busy and I have been processing a lot of emotions, but I have been called to be a light, and I don’t want to forget that purpose.

Who will you encourage today?

Who will you remind that they are an image bearer of Christ?

Who will you change for the better using the magic of your words?

Don’t keep that magic hidden inside of you, be magic to everyone and everything around you; I believe in you.

• Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the only social media he uses, Bluesky and Instagram