Think about it—our entire world, even the tangible things around us, is built on words. Take money, for instance. What is it, really? It’s just words. A dollar bill is simply a promise—an IOU from America to you. That phrase, “legal tender for all debts, public and private,” is printed on every note. The title to your home, your car, even our church building—what are these? Words on paper that carry meaning and value. The very foundation of our society, the law, is nothing more than carefully chosen words. The way we live as citizens and the rules we follow all come from words.

Consider marriage. When you walk down the aisle and join hands with your future spouse, it’s the exchange of words that binds you together. Software, too, is composed of words—lines of code that shape our digital lives. Even our nation is, at its core, a collection of words, most notably in the Constitution. The First Amendment protects what? Words. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition—all are freedoms of words. Words are truly the foundation of our world.

My friend, humans are word makers and word eaters—we thrive on and love words! Even now, as you read this Positive Minute Devotional, I’m sharing words, and you’re taking them in. As you go about your day, you’ll create words, and you’ll take in others’ words. Everything we do, say, and even think is shaped by words. We fight for our words, live by them, and ultimately, our words define us. I encourage you to choose words that build up, encourage, and honor God.