My mom recently bought me a typewriter as I wanted to add to my vintage memorabilia collection. So far, my repertoire of relics from the past includes a rotary phone that doesn’t work and a music system that belonged to the husband when he was a teen (Given that the hubs may also fall in the ‘vintage’ category, I should include him in my catalog of cute collectibles. Just kidding. He is not vintage. He is “old school charming.”)

But coming back to the typewriter, my 14-year-old son was figuring out how to use it and playing with the keys, when he suddenly exclaimed: “I just realized something—there’s no backspace on a typewriter.”

For a “native digital citizen,” this was news to him. He couldn’t quite comprehend that when you type out a word or a sentence, you can’t just tap a key a few times and have it disappear. You were kind of stuck with those words. Of course, from what I’ve read and vaguely recall from when I was a kid, there was the option of using a whitener and carefully covering the exact word or phrase that you want deleted, but it was a cumbersome process. But it was also a process that ensured a certain level of thinking before typing. You were almost compelled to think twice—or perhaps three or four times—before going clickety-clack,

In a culture where it is ridiculously easy to spew words, perhaps it’s good to remind ourselves that what we say, text, or post on social media has the power to heal and the power to hurt.

It is not surprising then that Scripture has heaps to say about how we use our words. The book of Proverbs is replete with words about words.

Proverbs 15:4 reminds us that, “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”

Ouch. I know I’ve said things that have crushed someone’s spirit. I’ve resorted to mean words, angry words, sarcastic words, condescending words … and the list goes on. It’s like you literally have to be a mom for five minutes and you cover the entire range of not-so-pleasant words. Or maybe that’s just me. There are countless times I wish I could rewind the curt words I’ve spoken to my kids, my husband, or others closest to me.

Perhaps like me, you regret some things you’ve said. You wished you could backspace those words. Or at least get your hands on some whitener and blot them out quickly. You know, get the toothpaste back in the tube. But that’s a close to impossible task.

But here’s the good news: God has the power to redeem our words because He redeems our hearts.

I love what John 15:3 says: “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

God’s words have wondrous power because Christ Himself is the Word. His word has made us clean.

That means, even if our track record is strewn with ugly or upsetting words, God can change that. But we need to be willing participants in that change.

If, like me, you feel like your words have been caustic instead of kind, frantic instead of composed, passive-aggressive instead of peace-loving, tearing down instead of building up, then go to the Father and present yourself—and your words—before Him.

He will help us recognize that it is not just our words but also our hearts that need an overhaul. And then He will heal those broken places out of which have oozed angry words or hurtful phrases. He will replace them with the type of words described in  Proverbs 18:4 which says, “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook

When people meet us, may they not just be entertained but refreshed. May it be that they won’t just have a laugh but they will be quenched with life-giving water.

Heavenly Father, It blows me away that You give us this powerful ability to communicate with words the way no other creature can. You trusted us with speech and language and expressing ourselves through the written word. But, we have carelessly misused this gift. Today we ask that You redeem our words so we can speak light into dark places, healing into hurt situations, hope into dead circumstances, and joy into brokenness. Thank You for sanctifying every part of us, including our words. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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