The Butterfly Effect
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember when we learned that as children? What a catchy phrase, obviously memorable but too bad it isn't true. Words do hurt, they sting and according to scripture, they can even kill. “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). That's right, words can kill and they can even give life. It seems trivial, how can something as small and insignificant as the tongue be so powerful? How can our words poison our lives and the lives of others? How can something so small, be the source of life and encouragement, and healing in our lives and the lives of those around us?
The Butterfly Effect was an idea conceived by meteorologist Edward Lorenz. In the 1960s, Lorenz discovered that tiny, butterfly-scale changes to the starting point of his computer weather models, resulted in anything from sunny skies to violent storms with no way to predict in advance what the outcome might be. In simple terms, he realized that something as small as a butterfly flapping its tiny wings could have a huge effect on a larger system. The little things we do affect the bigger world around us. Words have more of an effect than we think they do, just like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.
I got a new book for our daughter the other day, to add to our devotional time. Two kids and their dog Kate talk about who Jesus is through a series of worksheets. The book starts with John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” I think one of the trickiest things about the Bible is that it is disguised as a book, if only we understood that the Word is a Person, the Word is God, the Word is Jesus Christ. Don't take my word for it, the Word says so… “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). “But the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Pt. 1:25). “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13). “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Ps. 33:6). By mere words, God created all that we see around us. We are not God, but we are made in His image and given authority by the blood of Jesus. We should be careful what we say…and what we don’t say.
As much as we can speak death and trouble into our lives, we can also neglect to speak life and goodness into our lives. We can neglect to speak God's promises into our lives by not knowing the true power of His Word. Think about it, God said it, and there it was (Gen. 1). “For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm (Ps. 33:9).” We should learn to do the same and follow God's lead by speaking life, hope, love, and healing. We can confidently speak those things that do not exist because the Living Word assures us that they will. God is a God of Covenant, He cannot lie. With that assurance, we should be able to search His Word for His promises and speak them into existence (Rom. 4:17).
Do not fail to recognize that you have power. The littlest thing you do has an effect on the world. One of the smallest parts of your body has an incredible impact on your life and the lives of others. The fluttering of your tongue is like the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings, very slight movement “resulting in anything from sunny skies to violent storms with no way to predict in advance what the outcome might be.”
What kind of impact is your tongue making? Put it to good use and be intentional about only allowing good things to come out of your mouth. We are going to make an impact with our words, so why not let it be said that our impact was a good one, one that glorified God and lifted up others? What if, when we flapped our tongues, we did so with the Word of God, what if we spoke like Jesus every time we opened our mouths, what kind of effect would we have on the world? Our idol words have power, but with the Word of God, we have the power of the Blood of Jesus on the tips of our tongues, let every word that comes out of our mouths have a tremendous, butterfly effect on those around us, to the glory of God.
