Recently I watched the movie Woman in Gold. In part it shares the true story of a young Austrian Jewish woman’s experience escaping Nazis in Austria.

At the point when she realizes she needs to take an opportunity to leave for America, she discusses it with her parents.

Her Austrian father begins speaking to her in English and says, “From now on we will speak English to each other because we are speaking the language of your future.”

In other words, she’ll be spending her future in America so they’re going to speak English, the language of her future.

That beautiful scene made me think about what “language” I’m using to speak about my future. Is it a language of negativity, doubt or fear? Or is it a language of hope, purpose, and destiny?

Do my words build myself and others up? Or do my words tear down and wound?

Do my words speak life, hope and goodness into a situation or do they spread anxiety and fear?

I’m reminded of Ephesians 4:29, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (NLT)

Ideally, that’s what words should do. Call out the good things in others. Build up. Speak truth in love. Cut through fear and create hope.

Our words are so important and they’re usually a direct result of our thoughts.

Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist with a PhD in Communication Pathology specializing in Neuropsychology, has studied and researched the Mind-Brain connection since the early 1980s.

Dr. Leaf says, “Frame your world with your words. If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought. Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”

Dwelling on negativity is actually physically toxic to our brains and bodies.

So, developing a habit of choosing to think and speak in a positive and hopeful way to ourselves and to others actually changes our brains and causes them to function in a healthier way.

Out of our thought patterns our words are formed and our lives are lived. Having healthy thoughts and speaking out those healthy thoughts makes it easier to live out healthy principles in daily life.

That doesn’t mean that we ignore problems or conflict. It’s important to seek healthy ways to resolve issues. But it does mean that dwelling in negativity and constantly speaking negativity can actually makes us unwell.

So…

▪What’s coming out of your mouth and what thoughts are you regularly dwelling on?

▪Are they toxic or healthy? Fearful or hopeful? Building up or tearing down?

I want to be intentional about choosing to speak hope, peace, truth and grace to myself and others.

Will you join me this week in being more intentional about speaking a healthier language that will lead you into your future?