In this issue of WealthNotes, we consider the power of words.

When the well-known journalist Ted Koppel received a “Broadcaster of the Year Award,” he stated, “Consider this paradox: Almost everything that is publicly said these days is recorded. Almost nothing of what is said is worth remembering.” Sadly, how true this statement is – just consider the thousands of people that daily share via Twitter and Facebook their every activity and thought, regardless of how boring or mindless. What a waste of words and a waste of time – the writer’s and the reader’s!

But rightly used, there is great power to our words. Following Nelson Mandela’s death, a Wall Street Journal Article, entitled “Nelson Mandela in His Words” quoted Mandela as saying, “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison did anything, it was to learn that the silence of solitude helps us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”

One of the most powerful ways we can use our words is to encourage others. Many people today are discouraged, fearful and weary. Perhaps they are dealing with depression, illness, grief, unemployment or some other kind of loss. Observe those around you carefully; listen to them closely – you’ll discover what they’re dealing with. Then offer a word of encouragement, a word of love, a word of hope. It will make a huge difference.

Today, focus on others, discover their pain – and speak words that heal.

Excerpted from “Monday Mornings,” a weekly devotional by Dr. Tracy Jessup, Senior Minister to the University and Vice President of Christian Life and Service at Gardner-Webb University