Yesterday we talked about how using negative words actually reinforces bad behavior and brings about more of it. Today, I want to share a story that illustrates how the opposite is also true.

A while back, my daughter Haven decided to wipe up the table after a meal. Rather than just thanking her for undertaking the task, I said, “Haven, you’re such a servant leader.” Although it wasn’t intentional, by using that phrase, I ascribed to her a positive character trait. Guess what happened next? After leaving her for awhile, Hannah and I came back downstairs to find that the whole kitchen was clean (as clean as a nine-year-old can get it). Very sweetly, she looked at us and said, “What do you think?” Not only was it precious, it was a powerful reminder to me as a parent that my words have the power to shape my daughter’s character and her future.

Friend, you can heal those around you in the same manner you are healed. Jesus doesn’t make you whole by calling you a horrible, rotten sinner, but instead by calling you His Beloved and affirming that you are worthy of belonging. This is why it’s critically important to see the best in yourself and in others. Before you were called, your Savior saw you, and although He could have disqualified you based on your sin, He looked beyond that to see your potential. In fact, so badly did He want to set you free to be the best version of you that He went to the cross! Since He paid such a high price to ascribe good things to you, you are empowered and equipped to do the same for others. Heal someone by labeling them according to their potential and the world may well be changed as a result! Isn’t that an awesome thought?