Sticks and Stones

This post is all about words.

As a blogger, I try to write from my heart. I want the words I write to come straight from within me, but I get stuck sometimes. I am a pretty private person, so sharing what’s in my heart is hard for me to do. Usually all that I am willing to share is about God, which is not a bad thing- it’s a good thing that He is one of the things deep inside of me. But there are times I want to share something deeper and just don’t know how. I will most likely never be a blogger that shares with the world all their thoughts and feelings. Some are like that, and I enjoy reading their realness. It’s just not me.

To me, words mean a lot. Especially when I know they are coming from deep within me, and that I mean them with all my being. I am an honest person (almost to a fault)- if I say something, I mean it. (Unless it’s a joke, of course.)  I am someone who has to process a feeling or thought extensively before I can confidently voice it. If I tell you I love you, I mean it. If I said I was praying about something, you can bet your life that I was. Words matter.

Words have the ability to shred a person’s heart faster than a bullet can. They can also have a more lasting effect. What you say has an impact, good or bad. So many times, we flippantly say things we don’t really mean that end up hurting others much more than we realize. What if our flippant comments are what is tearing down a person and making them lose out on God? One thing said can stick with someone for life. A single sentence can be more devastating than a whole round of bullets. Why? Because that person may not be saved after being hurt by a fellow “child of God”. They can still be saved if they’ve been hit with a bullet.

I’m here to say that the opposite is also true. One “I’m praying for you” or even a “I enjoy having you around” can influence a soul positively. What kind of impact can we have with our words when they are positive? I believe major impact!

You hear about random acts of kindness all the time, but what about random words of kindness? We are representing God! God is the definition of love. Literally. Some people have never been complimented or even told “I love you” before in their lives! What is stopping us from using our words to spread God’s love? We could seriously win souls with just a few words- no fancy outreach programs needed!

I encourage you (and, as always, me too) to put this thought into practice as we go into 2019. Who knows what kind of results we’ll get?

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