Words Matter
My greatest regrets are not the mistakes I made with my hands, but the ones I made with my tongue.
Words Matter
When I was a kid, we used to have a saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
I have found that this is far from true.
Words have the ability to do far more damage than we were led to believe. They can cut into a person’s soul and reach deep into their heart, affecting them where they are most vulnerable. Words can expose a person’s deepest anxieties and cause lasting harm—or they can bring healing and help someone climb out of a pit.
Our words can lift someone up or tear them down. They can encourage or discourage, build up or diminish. They can heal or destroy. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus explains the true nature of our words:
Matthew 12:34
”…the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”
Jesus is telling us that our words reveal what is in our hearts. I have been in the church for my whole life. During that time, I have experienced great victories and some bitter moments that I would gladly forget.
My greatest regrets are not the mistakes I made with my hands, but the ones I made with my tongue. Maybe I said the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. Maybe I used the wrong tone. Whatever the reason, I hurt someone, and they felt pain because of my words.
There is an old saying that there are two things you can never take back: a spent arrow and a spoken word. James uses even stronger language. He describes the tongue this way:
James 3:8
”…it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”
The Bible tells us to encourage one another and comfort one another. That means our words should be uplifting, not destructive. Before you speak, think your words through.
Someone around you today needs encouragement more than criticism, grace more than judgment, and hope more than another burden to carry.
Your words have the power to hurt or heal. The words you speak today may stay with someone for the rest of their life. Make sure they are worth remembering.
