I’ve been doing quite a few interviews recently to discuss my new book Tongue Pierced, which focuses on the power of language to transform your life. Here I’ll address some of the most frequently asked questions about the book and encourage you to pick up a copy for yourself at your favorite online retailer. Just visit TonguePierced.com and click “Buy the Book.”
1. What inspired your new book, Tongue Pierced?
I have always been fascinated with the notion that the words we speak really do shape our reality. Several years ago, I taught on this topic at my church in New York City, The Journey. The truth about the power of words resonated profoundly with everyone who heard the messages. Not only did they come to realize that words are a reflection of the heart, springing from the inside out, but that we can also do a lot to better our lives simply by choosing to be more intentional about our words choices and letting those choices take effect from the outside in.
2. Are there times when it’s appropriate to use harsh words?
Jesus didn’t shy away from using harsh words when he needed to. Just think about his words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23. The Pharisees were making a mockery of true intimacy with God, leading people into empty religion full of self-promotion and show. So, he confronted them with some pretty harsh words. He called them snakes and sons of vipers. He rebuked them for their hypocrisy and told the crowds not to follow their example.
Similarly, in our own lives, there are times when harsh words do serve a purpose. When we see injustice, we need to address it – and that will often call for words that we wouldn’t normally speak. But when those words are spoken prayerfully, wisely, and are truly helping to correct a wrong that needs to be corrected, they are justified. The key is to make sure they are coming from a heart focused on God’s truth and love, rather than on our own ideas, preferences, or emotions.
3. What kind of ‘success’ stories have you seen in your own ministry as a result of preaching this message of ‘words matter?’
We’ve had so many life-changing stories come out of the Tongue Pierced teaching over the years. At The Journey, several thousand people have gone through the Tongue Pierced material and hundreds have taken the 30-Day No Cursing Challenge. Incredibly impactful testimonies have been created as these truths have intersected people’s lives.
My favorite success story is one from a Wall Street executive who was part of our church. At the end of her 30-Day No Cursing Challenge, she told me that the challenge had given her an opportunity to live out her faith in the workplace in a more tangible way than anything else she had ever done in her twelve years as a Christian. It was something that really set her apart in a culture full of cursing, and gave her the chance to talk to her friends and co-workers about why her language had shifted.
Many other people I know, including myself, just keep recommitting to the Tongue Pierced lifestyle and praying we can make it 30 consecutive days without cursing!
Your partner in ministry,
Nelson
P.S. For more information on the book and how you can Take a 30-Day No-Cursing Challenge, visit TonguePierced.com.
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