WORDS
by Kathy Pegram

There's an old saying that goes "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." I for one don't agree with that statement at all. Words spoken can inflict life long pain. It affects not only how we view ourselves but also how we view others. Words when spoken can't be recalled. They can ruin marriages, friendships, and even business partnerships. One word can ruin a person's life if spoken to the wrong person. Why? Because once those words are spoken they are like feathers thrown to the wind – you can't just say I didn't mean it. You can say oh it was just a joke but the damage has been done. Words do hurt, they hurt terribly. They ruin self-esteem, they hurt feelings, they damage reputations, and they can even ruin people's lives.

I will never understand how intelligent Christian people will use un-Christian tactics to hurt each other. People will lie about churches and never even stop to check out the true facts about what they are saying. So what happens is more and more people begin to believe the lies that are told and then more and more lies are told. In the meantime good people are hurt and their lives are changed to the point they begin to lose faith in everyone. It's those "words that never hurt" that cause church splits, run off pastors, lead to divorce, stop church growth, etc. The next time you feel like using words to put someone in their place, I hope you will stop and think about how much power those words have to destroy.

As I was writing this column I began to do some research on what the Bible says about what we say. I found in Proverbs quite a few references to words and how they are used. In Proverbs 6:12-14; 8:13; 16:28; 18:8; 25:15; and 26:20-28 we read about The Conniving Tongue. My Bible tells me that those filled with this speech pattern are filled with wrong motives, gossip, slander, and a desire to twist truth. Then in Proverbs 10:18,32; 11:9; 12:16,18; 15:4; 17:9,14,19; 20:19; and 25:23, we read about The Careless Tongue. My Bible tells me that those with this speech pattern are filled with lies, curses, quick-tempered words which can lead to rebellion and destruction.

My prayer is that those of you who have been hurt by words, either recently or in the past, that you will be able to soon say as Joseph did, “I can say that the evil with which man meant to harm me God used to do me good.” Keep on keeping on in your work for the Kingdom of God. We are laborers together for Christ so let's put aside all the misunderstandings and distrust and work together without criticism.

Love & Prayers,
Kathy