Sticks and stones may break my bones....
...but words will never hurt me!
Who came up with that one?! Truth is...we have all been hurt by a careless word or a coarse joke. Maybe we have even hurt someone with our own words.
With over 600,000 words in the English language, you would think we'd always have the right word to say! Still we battle with the words we choose. God knows this. His Word speaks directly to this.
Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
That word, unwholesome, means ROTTEN. It's the word that was used to describe rotten produce sold in the street markets. Rotten fruit stinks! And it's dangerous to eat!
Our words have the potential to be rotten, and ultimately do serious damage.
Proverbs 18:21 (The Message)
Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose.
Our words can kill, but our words can also give life!
Jesus said our words come from our hearts.
Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Angry heart = angry words
Insecure heart = hurtful words that tear other down in order to build ourselves up
Healthy heart = loving, kind, encouraging words
So how's your heart? You can tell by what's coming out of your mouth!
Much love!
You can listen to the podcast of this talk by clicking here.
