Sticks and Stones

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

Umm yeah right? Words will never hurt me? Who comes up with this stuff, clearly they must of never been around people. 
How many times as children did we hear that saying, or even say it? But then again how many times have you or I been hurt by the words of someone else, or better yet have we hurt someone with our words? Words are powerful and once they have been said it is hard to take them back. This is something I have been learning, and been challenged with lately.  

I recently heard a teaching on relationships, and how to have good relationships. Isn't that something we all truly desire? I sure don't wake up in the morning hoping to get in to an argument with someone or for drama to unfold and then loose sleep over what I should have said. Come one, we have all been there. I am constantly falling into the classic foot in mouth or word vomit situations. However I have been praying and truly desiring for the Lord to change me and let me be slow to speak.

As the pastor was teaching on relationships he shared a story about how a child had been playing and ended up ruining a coffee table with whatever it was they had done. 
Hey lets be real here that is life, and life with kids, the unexpected will happen. 
One of the parents came in and started to yell and tear down the child over what had happened to the coffee table, and how it was ruined. 
Later the other parent pulled aside the one who lost it and yelled at the child, and asked them was it worth destroying a million dollar child over a hundred dollar coffee table. Ouch! 

How often do we use our words to tear others down? Our children are a gift from God and He has entrusted us to raise them. Each child is a worth way more than a million dollars. 
In God's eyes we are worth so much that He sent His only son, Jesus to pay the price that we could never pay, with His life. Just so that we could have a relationship with God. We are each highly valued in God's eyes! Let's slow down and pray to see people the way God does.
Yes some days will be harder than others,when it comes to raising children and dealing with people. But lets look at what the Bible says about our words.

"Death and life are in the 

power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit."

Proverbs 18:21

Today we have the choice with how we use our words. God's word share with us that there is life or death in the tongue. Let's choose life! My prayer is that the words I speak build others up, encourage them and that they untimely bring glory to God. 

Let's seek God and seek His help to see others the way He does, highly valued. 




*If your looking for more on the power of our words and how they bring life or death check out James chapter 3