Tag Archives: affect

Do You Affect or Infect Others?

 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it’s fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

I couldn’t sleep tonight.  I was laying in bed, past midnight with thoughts racing in my head.  I felt the need to just write down my feelings and get them off of my chest.  The question that hit me when I was laying restless on my pillow was, do your words affect others or infect others?  The verb of the word “affect,” means to have influence on or to produce a change in something or someone.  While the word “infect” means to affect with a disease causing organism.  So both “affect” and “infect” effect some form of change.  Confused yet?  Affection is a form of the word affect, whereas infection is a form of the word infect.  When I hear the word affection, I immediately think of positive things, love, cuddling, touch, fondness, bonding, and caring.  When I hear the word infection, I think of disease, pus filled nastiness, and contamination.  Words can lift, encourage, love, empower, move, and grow someone if spoken with a motive of affection.  Infected words spread, multiply, hurt, offend, contaminate, and can spiritually kill someone.  Infections usually start without being seen, then they start to inflame, spread and become noticeable.  I guess that’s why it’s good to think before you speak, because the tongue holds a lot of power in either direction.  I hope to be mindful of it whenever I’m propelled to use words the wrong way.  I hope that if I do spill a contaminating word that God will quicken my heart to apologize for it.  I don’t want to infect anyone.  I want to affect them by God’s love.  He is my source of affection and the antidote for any infection.



