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Please Sorry Thanks

DAY 2 OF 5

LET THERE BE LIGHT

To further understand the power of words, let’s go back to the very beginning. In Genesis 1:3, “God said, ‘Let there be light.’”

According to composer Leonard Bernstein, a better translation than said in this verse is sang. “In the beginning was the note, and the note was with God,” Bernstein suggested in a 1963 speech at the American International Music Fund, “and whosoever can reach for that note, reach high, and bring it back to us on earth, to our earthly ears—he is a composer.”

On that note (pun intended), every atom in the universe sings a unique song. In more scientific terms, every atom emits and absorbs energy at a unique frequency. It’s true of every element in the periodic table, it’s true of you, and it’s true of words.

Life-giving words resonate with that original note.

Destructive words do the opposite. They cause internal disso­nance because they are at odds with God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will (see Romans 12:2).

God doesn’t just use His voice to form words; He uses words to form worlds! Everything we see was once said. Or, if you prefer, sung.

As we read in John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the be­ginning. Through Him all things were made; withoutHhim, nothing was made that has been made.”

The Doppler effect tells us that the universe is still expand­ing. In other words, the words God spoke, in the beginning, are still creating galaxies at the outer edge of the universe. The uni­verse is God’s way of saying, “Look at what I can do with four words!”

You may not be able to big bang the universe, but like the God in whose image you were created, your words cre­ate worlds. And I believe that few words resonate with more power than please, sorry, and thanks. They sing in three-part harmony. They are the foundation of all healthy relationships. They will determine how happy you are and, I might add, how holy you are.

When those three words become a way of life, you can not only change the world with your words, you can be part of creating a new world!

God, remind me of the power of my words today. How can I join you in creating new life? Amen.

Day 1Day 3

About this Plan

Please Sorry Thanks

There’s a reason we teach kids that please, sorry, and thanks are magic words. They can work wonders. Nothing opens doors like please. Nothing mends fences like sorry. Nothing builds bridges like thanks. This week we’re going to look at how God can use these three powerful words to bring healing and hope to our own spirits and to the lives of those around us.

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We would like to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/634097/please-sorry-thanks-by-mark-batterson