Real Life Scrabble
- The Narrow Path
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2 min read
Proverbs 31:26 (NIV) She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Boggle. Pictionary. Scattegories. Ruzzle. Words with Friends. Typeshift.
What’s the connection here? You got it. They are all word games. Perhaps the most popular of all, Scrabble, is a game well known by people across generations. As our world of technology has caused a shift from board games to smartphone apps, the popularity of word games has remained.
Word games can be challenging. Maybe that’s why I’ve always enjoyed them. Success in Scrabble hinges upon the ability to organize the letters in front of you, scan the board to see what space you have available and then put the letters together to create a word that generates the most points possible. But perhaps what speaks to me most about this game can be described by the official Scrabble rules “…and then each in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words”1. What if we applied this same rule to the words we speak and those we hear from others in our everyday lives?! We can choose to turn negative into positive and use our encouraging words to build each other up. See the example below of how one word can play on another:
As the communication paradigm has shifted from in person and telephone conversations to more text messaging and email, it has become even more important for us to choose our words wisely. For someone like me, to whom words are incredibly important, this can be like playing with fire. When controlled, they can provide light, warmth and a great purpose; however, if we aren’t careful they can quickly get out of control causing damage to ourselves and those around us.
And sometimes, unfortunately, the damage happens quickly. One word. One rumor. One text. One email. It can all build so quickly and before we know it the fire is ablaze with negative thoughts and emotions generated from the words we speak, even when that was never our intention. Because I choose to express myself through words often, I have found myself in this place at times. And in life, just like in Scrabble, once the completed word has been spoken or written, I cannot change it or take it back.
One piece of advice I received from a friend has helped me tremendously, especially in difficult circumstances. In a world where communication has become instantaneous we have been conditioned to react immediately, which is often based on our emotions. Rather, we must instead choose to respond. I have learned that by pausing and then prayerfully responding, I am allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my communication rather than my emotion.
Our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses if they aren’t harnessed appropriately. I am grateful the Lord is teaching me this lesson so that in this real life word game of Scrabble, I may use my words to bring truth, life and love to others in a way that glorifies Him.
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