Words have power. Words can heal and words can wound. Words have the power of a sword to slash and cut and destroy. And words can never be taken back.
In the Bible, James compares the power of our words to a fire.
“ Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:5,6
Lately I’ve been discovering some important truths. I can’t control others words about me. But I can control what I do with the hurt those words cause.
Number one, I don’t have to respond in kind. I don’t have to lash out in the same manner. I can choose to remain quiet and allow God to be my Defender and my Judge. I can choose gentleness and kindness in return for unkindness.
Number two, I can choose to let go of the hurt. Yesterday I read a wonderful example of what hurt is like in our lives. The author described hurt as a glass vase that has shattered into a million pieces. It’s OUR vase, our shards of glass. If we want to hang on tightly to it forever, that’s our right, we can do that. However, the longer we hold on to those shards of glass, the longer we prolong the pain and the more bloody and wounded we become. Why make it worse? Sure, the first cut hurt. You were wronged, but why make it worse? Choose to open your hands and let those shards of glass go. Unforgiveness and bitterness hurts ourselves the most.
“Bitterness is like lacing your own coffee with strychnine and expecting the other person to drop dead.”
Let it go.
“Entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” I Peter 4:19
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