WORDS OF LIFE
14th Oct 2026
An interesting statistic in a book I am reading says, “In general, words account for only 7% of how we communicate, our body language accounts for 55% and voice tone 30%.”
We are made up of the words we receive and the words we speak. It is very important to guard what you listen to and also realise that the words you speak can be very influential. Modern communication methods - emails, text messages, and social media - blur so much these days.
The words that Jesus spoke are described in John 6:63 as, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” This challenged his hearers; some turned away from Him. Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
In Luke 4:22 it says, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” The words of Jesus had a life-changing quality.
In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
These verses show the quality and power of the words we receive from Jesus through His word and His Spirit. This is how our lives are filled with ‘words of life’.
The words we speak matter just as much. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
I have found the statistic mentioned above to be very challenging. We can often send a text message or write an email and believe we have communicated effectively. However, human contact is vital. A phone call is better than a text message.
But going in person is even better. The research above tells us that our body language and tone of voice say so much more than our words. So go and visit someone today, encourage them, pray for them and assure them they are loved.
by Charles Sibthorpe
