The Words That You Speak

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Posted by rfathers on January 21, 2009

The Bible teaches us that:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue… (Proverbs 18:21 KJV)

This is very important because we have to be careful about the words that we speak over our children.

For example, have you ever heard a parent say that her child is “shy” or maybe you have heard a mother call her son “devilish”? Well guess what, the more we emphasize the negative, the more we could be programming (or cursing) our child to be that way.

The reverse of this is also true. That is why motivational speakers consistently teach that we should “confess” what we want. If we encourage our children and emphasis their good points (instead of what we don’t like about them or their behavior), the more we could be helping them to develop a positive self-esteem and healthy self-confidence.

I believe this is one of the reason why God told us that we were made in His likeness:

Then God said, ?Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.? (Genesis 1:26 NIV)

God wants us to see ourselves as rulers in His own image. He knows that the devil comes to tell us all sorts of lies about who we are what we can do. But, if we listen to God then we will see ourselves in a much more positive light and will thus strive for the better life.

This is true of our children as well. The more we paint a picture of success and strength, the more our children will see themselves in that light.

An article on the Child Development Institute’s website “Helping Your Child Develop Self-Esteem says:

Parents, more than anyone else can promote their child’s self-esteem. It isn’t a particularly difficult thing to do. In fact, most parents do it without even realizing that their words and actions have great impact on how their child or teenager feels about himself.^*

The article entitled also gave the folllowing suggestions:

• When you feel good about your child, mention it to him.
• Be generous with praise.
• Teach your child to practice making positive self-statements.
• Avoid criticism that takes the form of ridicule or shame.
• Teach your child about decision-making and to recognize when he has made a good decision.
• Develop a positive approach to providing structure for your child.

The Child Development Institute’s article also provided 10 additional steps you can take to help your child develop a positive self-image.

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^* Myers, Robert (Editor). (December 18, 1999) “Helping Your Child Develop Self-Esteem,” Child Development Institute (Accessed Janaury 21, 2009).

The Child Development Insititute also has a great deal more information for parents on parenting, psychology, child development, education, health, safety, families, the arts and more. Visit their website: Child Development Institute.