“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” was likely taught to most of us growing up. However, it is quite untrue.

 

I’ve seen words “weaponized” that sent many a heart into a long wilderness that left them with lasting physical consequences. Some words used as weapons effectively stalled out or even put to death another’s dreams. Some words even caused such a deep wounding that one is unable to overcome the brokenness of heart in many respects.

 

All that being said, words can also be a wonderful weapon that builds up needy hearts and catapults them into their God-given destiny.

 

Words. Are. Powerful.

 

Words mishandled can send a hurting heart reeling and into a cave, hiding from needed healing. Words can dismiss someone’s real pain with a casual shoulder shrug instead of an understanding heart, loving well.

 

Words used as weapons cause a lifetime of lasting effects that influence decision after decision. Layer after layer must be peeled back to retrain and renew the mind with the true Word of the Lord to stabilize that which has been a weaponized time bomb waiting to go off when the enemy sets up the perfect storm.

 

Words.

 

They can be a real problem.

 

Words have the ability to lodge in the mind and heart and sit on replay like a movie. Words form barriers and walls of a misguided facade so that if any inkling of an unsafe environment is detected the wall is raised and the heart is shielded even from its own necessary healing.

 

We are responsible for our own words.

 

My words can encourage and build up. They can heal and make whole. Laced with the power of the Spirit of God is an anointing that binds the brokenhearted. My humanness will always fail and my instincts will betray hearts without the Holy Ghost. Only God knows well what a hurting heart needs to hear.

 

Our hearts often lean on human understanding, which can be quite erroneous, and therefore compassion and empathy wane, causing us to be a possible weapon of the enemy with our words.

 

Yes, sometimes words can merely be misunderstood. But sometimes, we simply do not think them through and become too casual with wounding words. What doesn’t hurt some can absolutely hurt others.

 

To live the life with Christ is to always watch our words. To be purposeful and Spirit-led. To be cautious and thoughtful. To be kind and to listen intently. To be gentle.

 

Words never need to be weapons in a way that is contrary to Christ Jesus. Words, however, can be a weapon of healing.

 

Choose your words wisely and make sure they are used by the hand of the Lord rather than by the hand of the enemy.

———-

 

Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Proverbs 16:24

 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.

Proverbs 18:21