“Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Some of us may remember well-meaning teachers and family members teaching us this old adage when we were young. But, is it true? God’s Word and experience in life tells me that the opposite is more accurate: “Kind words heal and help. Cutting words wound and maim.” Proverbs 15:4~~The Message
I love the way The Message puts the above verse—very simple and to the point. There are many other places in the Bible, particularly in Proverbs, which talk about what we project onto the people around us with what we say. That tells me that God is very concerned about what is in our hearts and what comes out of our mouths. In this age of highly technical communications, that includes e-mails, texting, etc.
One of my daily struggles is that I worry about my conversations with others. I go over and over past discussions and wonder if I said something to hurt their feelings. I try to think before I speak and then choose my comments carefully. And yet, sometimes out of the blue come cutting words that I know hurt that other person. It’s frustrating, because I really try to not do this.
Whether words are good or bad, once they go out of our mouths and into the ears of another person, we cannot take them back. In our humanity, we all make mistakes and say the wrong things sometimes. I believe the key is if the occasional incident evolves into a character trait that we become known for. I’m so grateful for all those people in my life who have shown me grace and forgiveness when I mess up. And, I thank God that no matter what, He will forgive me if I confess my sin before Him and truly repent. If I trust Him to do so, He will help me to do better the next time. So, take heart and use comforting words to encourager those around you. Ask Jesus to help you have the kindness and gentleness that He shows all of us.
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:27~~New American Standard Bible
“May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and redeemer.” Psalm 19:14~~New Living Translation Bible
God’s Blessings, Tammy
©2011 Tammy Maseberg All Rights Reserved