Words Can Really Hurt Me...

Hello readers! Sorry it has been a while, I am so glad to be back. This month at The Well we will be going through a series called Zip It. Week one was about gossip. Who hasn’t experienced gossip? I think it is safe to say that everyone has in some way.

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:26

From the above verse, we see that if you are unable to control the words coming from your mouth, then your religion is worthless. Gossip comes in many forms:

• Prayer request gossiper: rather than saying “Heather has a lot going on and she needs prayer” the prayer request gossiper tells what is going on in Heather’s life.

• ‘But you gotta love them’ gossiper: talking bad about someone completely bashing them and their character, then after wards saying, “but you gotta love them.”

• I just don’t know when to shut up gossiper: this one is pretty self explanatory, someone knows information and just does not know when to keep their mouth shut.

• I’m just telling the truth gossiper: just because it is the truth, does not mean that it needs to be spread

We live in a society that is covered with gossip. It is in the magazines, on television, it is everywhere. Here is something to note, “Talking about everyone else, probably means that you are too scared to talk about yourself.” The tongue is a powerful thing. With that being said the power can be both good and bad, Like most things, there is a good side and a dark side to the power of the tongue. It is all in how you use it. There is a saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is so wrong and whoever first came up with that was full of bologna. I believe the saying should go a little more like “Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words can really hurt me.” Not all words can hurt, but words have the ability to destroy. James 3:5-6 “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” Pastor Travis used the analogy of a pillow fight being like gossip. With the pillow in hand, there is a sense of addicting power. This is true for information that you hold and knowing something most don’t, you have a power. Reality: gossip is fun. But truth is gossip starts as a conversation that turns someone’s life and character into a mess.

With gossip all around us, what is the answer to avoiding it? Ephesians 4:29 says “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.” The answer is to stop talking ABOUT people and start talking TO people. Let only words of encouragement and help come from your mouth. Let your words be directed at the needs of the person you are talking to. We need to be a community that is different in the sense that we do not gossip as it has killed and divided churches. We need to be a community focused on intentionally helping others rather than innocently or deceitfully destroying others. We must learn to tame the tongue and make things right with those that we may have sparked or fanned the flame that has been destruction to their lives.

The only way to change your words is to change your heart. For the words you speak reflect that which is going on in your heart.