Are you a joker? Are you the person in  your church that makes everyone laugh? Being from the youth ministry world, I know a lot of these jokers. They are funny. They make other people feel good. They are great to have around.

Until they hurt someones feelings.

I’ve had a few ministry relationships with volunteers or colleagues where we joked around a lot with each other. It’s fun. Yet, I have found many times that the joking relationship I have had with them went a little too far. My words, instead of being a joke, actually hurt them. Or, their words hurt me. The hurt was never intentional. It just was the nature of the jokes we told and the relationship we had. Except this time, the words went a little too far, hit a little too close to home.

Joking with others can be a great way to relate with the people we minister with. But be careful about going too far with the jokes.

In this video, Michael Hyatt talks about the power of our words and how they can have a lasting impact on the lives of those we minister with.

Question: Have you ever told a joke that ended up hurting someones feelings? How did that make you feel?

Speaking Clip – The Power of Our Words from Michael Hyatt on Vimeo.