Words Matter

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Words are important.

I am often angered by people who carelessly utter unkind words. It seems like people usually say either:

1. Oh, when I get mad, I say things I don't mean.

or

2. I'm just joking!

Neither of these are appropriate. Deep down we KNOW that, right? We KNOW it's NOT OK to allow unkind words "slip out" when we are upset or angry. In my case, I lean toward meaning every word I say. I shouldn't say some things, but I mean every word. NOT OK.

AND, despite what most people seem to think, it is also NOT OK to make cruel jokes at the expense of others. While it's good to have a good sense of humor, and not take everything seriously, it is not appropriate to make jokes about other people. I used to feel like the ocassional poke at someone was OK, and maybe it is. But maybe it's much better to just say NO to mean jokes. Avoid it. The Bible says, speaking of the wicked and the evildoers;

"They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows."

How we in our society seem to look highly on those with quick wits and sharp tongues! Sharp tongues HURT like deadly arrows! Why do we think it's OK to say mean things under the guise of humor?

A lot of times it is because people think they can say TRUE things (or at least things they think are true) using humor and it makes it better, eg. "That shirt's working hard." (ie, you're fat, and your shirt's too small.) or "Lost your hairbrush?" (You should brush your hair, it's tangled and looks messy.) If it's not OK to make the comment without the humor then don't make the comment with the humor. It's an obvious dig, and it still hurts.

AND why do some people think it's OK to call people names or say unkind things about them or to their face even? Things like, "You're spoiled." "You're worthless." "You're dumb." Those things hurt. Again, people tend to say these EXTREMELY hurtful things and then laugh or smile like it's so funny. Guess what. NOT FUNNY!!

You may think I'm overreacting, but why waste time saying mean and hurtful things when there are plenty of other things to say, not to mention NICE and ENCOURAGING things.

I am not perfect AT ALL. I say things sometimes that I shouldn't say whether I think them or not, but I am making an effort to avoid saying mean or hurtful things, because I realize how destructive words are. Not only do they hurt, but they stick in your mind.

You can never take words back. Sure, you can say "Sorry", but it's always there. That is in that person's mind forever. "I'm fat. I'm stupid. I'm spoiled. I'm onery. I'm dumb. I'm ugly." WHY do you want that floating in the mind of someone you love, convincing them that they are those things? WHY????

I will continue to make an effort to be kind with my words, spoken, written, typed, thought.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Oh Lord."

Psalm 19