Digging Deeper: Words Matter
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
WORDS MATTER
Do you remember this children’s rhyme? “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” A quick Google search dates its origin back to the 1800’s. That is a long time for something not true to still be so easy to roll off the tongue! Hopefully, we all agree that words can indeed hurt us. Even if we are not personally experiencing it, we see it all around us every day.
Anger, strife, anxiety, apathy, aggression, and even physical attacks are the common themes crossing our news feeds today. You can find verbal wars on social media, often between people who do not even know each other. It is an interesting time to be alive for sure. Gentleness is rarely the way we see people engaging and interacting these days.
Recently, while I was waiting in line to check out at a local store, a baby started to cry loudly. The mom was desperately trying to console the child and get them to quiet down, but nothing was working. Then out of nowhere an older man across the store yells, “Good thing we are not on an airplane!” There was an audible gasp from those of us close by. It was such a cringeworthy moment that no one moved. My heart ached for this young mom who was already stressed and now embarrassed by the outburst of a stranger. His words, most assuredly, hurt her.
Proverbs 15:1 & 4 (NLT) says,
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
One of the sermons points this week was “Will my response benefit or hurt the other person?” Proverbs teaches us that gentle responses deflect anger and are a tree of life. On the other hand, it tells us that harsh words make tempers flare, and a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. We often talk about arguments or difficult discussions this way at NorthStar: you can enter a heated discussion like gasoline and add to the flames, or you can be like water and douse them. It is a choice.
Today, let us remember that words do matter and ask God to help us bring life, confidence, and encouragement to those He allows us to engage with.
Bridget Turner serves as the Director of Women’s Groups at NorthStar Church. She and her husband, Steve, live in Powder Springs and have two young adult children, Hannah and Joshua. She enjoys watching football, traveling and reading.