WORDS

Words can heal and words can harm. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." This is a children’s rhyme. The rhyme was supposed to be used as a defense against name-calling and verbal bullying. It was intended to increase resiliency, to avoid fighting and to remain calm.

Words may seem innocent until they escape from our lips. Words have power and they are powerful. They have the power to make us cry, to humiliate us, to wound us, to taunt us, to belittle us, to mortify us, and to hurt us. They make us cringe and tears us into pieces. Pieces that may never be put back together again. Words can destroy a reputation and break hearts. Words can create a ripple effect of misery.

Our words can grieve the Holy Spirit. Words can come from our thoughts, through our brains or from the heart. That’s why most people say, “Speak from the heart and not the head.” God can change any negative thoughts that enter our heads and any negative feelings that enter our hearts. He can remove any hatred, jealousy, bitterness, anguish and replace it with absolute unconditional love. From Psalm 19:14 comes a wonderful heart felt devotion, that should be repeated daily: “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer”. Our words can heal, comfort, encourage, inspire, and soothes, but it is our choice, every minute of everyday, which kind of words, will we choose to use. Will we choose the words that heals or the words that hurt?

“Sticks and stones my break my bones, but words can also hurt me. Sticks and stones may only break my skin, while words are ghosts that haunts me. Pain from words has left its scar on my mind, and my heart is still tender. The cuts and bruises now have healed, it is the words that I still remember.”