The Power of Kind Words

Hey, Carpooling with Jesus family. Imagine this. You're cruising down the road on your way to school, and Jesus is sitting right there next to you in the car. What kind of advice would he give you to start your day? How would he guide you in the choices that you make? Well, buckle up, because today we're diving into a super important topic: using kind words. Let's see what the Bible has to say about how we can speak with love and kindness. I'm Pastor Justin. And today we're going to be talking about words, specifically kind words, because words are powerful. They can build people up or they can tear them down. So how can we use our words to make others feel loved, just like Jesus would want? Let's take a look at a verse from the Bible that helps us understand this better. Our verse today is from Ephesians chapter four, verse 29. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. So what does that mean? See, when the Bible talks about foul language, it's not just talking about bad words. It means anything that's hurtful or unkind. Instead, we're told to use words that build others up, that make people feel good, loved, and important. Imagine someone at school says something mean. It might be tempting to say something back to hurt them. But God wants us to speak with kindness, even when others are unkind. Imagine you're in class and someone says something that makes another kid feel terrible. It's easy to get upset and say something hurtful back to defend them. But what if instead of joining in, you say something nice to the person who's feeling hurt? You might say, hey, don't listen to them. You're awesome just the way you are. That's what it means to use your words to build others up. Imagine Jesus is sitting right next to you during lunch and you're thinking about saying something unkind. He'd probably say, remember, your words can be a light in the darkness. When you speak with kindness, you show the world a little bit of my love. So let's make a plan. This week we can practice speaking with kindness at school, at home, and everywhere we go. Maybe it's telling your friend how much you appreciate them, or helping a classmate when they don't understand something. The key is to make sure your words are always kind and build others up, just like the Bible says. Here's a fun way to imagine it. Picture your words like a paintbrush. Every time you speak, you're painting someone's day. You can paint bright, beautiful colors with encouraging words, or you can make the picture dark and gloomy with harsh, mean words. Which kind of painting do you want to create for your friends today? Let's try this in a situation you might face. You're at home. Your sibling accidentally spills juice all over the kitchen table. You might feel frustrated in that moment, but you know that speaking with kindness will help. Instead of saying, oh, you always mess things up, you could say, it's okay. Accidents happen. Let's clean it up together. That's using your words to build them up and show grace. Remember, the words we use have the power to make someone's day better or worse. So let's choose words that lift people up and show them God's love. I'm so glad you joined me today for this ride. Keep using words that spread kindness and build others up. No matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus, and parents, if you love this podcast, share it with your parent friends so they can turn their car rides into faith-filled moments too. Here's today's question. Try and answer it before you get out of the car. Is there a time when you used your words to make someone feel better? What did you say? Have a great day at school, everyone.