Sticks and Stones

Whoever coined the phrase, "Sticks and Stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me", was very wrong. Words are very powerful and words can be very hurtful. However, some words can also bring healing and hope.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

All you have to do is open the Bible up to the first verse in Genesis to see the importance and power of words. As John 1:1 states, "In the beginning was the Word. . ." Genesis 1:3 starts to show the Word's power. God spoke and with His Words, he created the World and everything in it. He created everything we see by speaking it into existence.

Words have power. I was reading different scriptures this morning that talk about the words that we speak. What I read was very convicting to me. One of the scriptures I read that really jumped out at me is found Matthew.

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." Matthew 12:36

Careless Words
There is a reason that we are to think before we speak. How many careless words came out of my mouth this week? I think that my biggest problem is that a lot of times my definition of careless is very different from God's definition of careless. I reflect on my week so far and it hurts. There were many times that I wish I could take some of the words back that I said, but life doesn't work that way.

"Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:4

If I really believed that God knew every word on my tongue, maybe I would stop and think before I opened my mouth. In the Love Dare book written by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, the first dare is to say nothing negative to your spouse, at all. This dare is to be followed through every day for 40 days. I love my husband with all of my heart and I respect him more than words can express, but I will be honest with you, this dare is not easy.

Why does negativity and anger come so much easier at times than kindness and forgiveness? Why is it so easy for us, [women] to speak harsh words about someone else, instead of good? Why do we find it necessary to knock someone else down to build ourselves up? It is something that I have always struggled with. There is a line in a song that my daughters listen to by Pure NRG that says, "everybody's talking about someone else, trying to feel better about themselves." Does it really make us feel better to cause someone else to hurt?

As someone that has a desire to write, I think about words a lot. I feel that the ability to write is a gift that God has given me. I know that with this gift He intends for me to bring honor and glory to Him through the words that I write and speak. The farther I walk on this journey that I am on, the more I realize how my view of the world differs from God's view of the world. My view of the world leads to sin, God's view of the world leads to righteousness.

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11

God's words give us hope and healing. God's words give us wisdom and guidance. I don't want to cause other people pain through the words that I speak. It is not my place or my job to judge others, especially when I have plenty to work on myself. Like I said before, this is an area that I struggle with. I think that it is an area that most women struggle with. I know that I do not have the ability to change on my own. Thankfully, God is a big God and He has the ability to change my heart.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14