Earlier this year, I got a report about one of my sisters who was facing severe health challenges. My brother who has long taken on the role of a father figure for all of us stepped out of the hospital ward where she was being treated to talk to me. With a trace of despair in his voice, he asked us to take to prayer because the doctor informed him that her kidney and other internal organs had been damaged. The reason he stepped out to talk to me was because he did not want such a negative report to filter into her ears. Miraculously, my sister survived and has since been discharged.

Words will either condemn or acquit, save or destroy. Whenever you speak pleasant words to people, you enlist as a member of God’s medical team to the world.

Research suggests that negative words can have a negative impact on our health – both physical and emotional. Cortisol and other stress hormones are released in the body of someone who is exposed to negative words. In turn, this can lead to anxiety, depression, and a weakened immune system. On the contrary, pleasant words will keep in check those stress hormones, fight off depression and anxiety, and boost the immune system. Thus, our text associates good words with healthy bones. Jesus gave considerable attention to the spoken words. In Mark 4:24, He warned people to be careful of what they hear. He also made it plain that people will give account not only for what they do but also for what they say. Words will either condemn or acquit, save or destroy. Whenever you speak pleasant words to people, you enlist as a member of God’s medical team to the world.