I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This saying has been around since at least as early as 1872. I can envision a little girl with her hands on her hip, shaking her head side to side while saying the phrase with a tune. I know that little girl was me at some point in my life too.
As the years have passed in my life, I say, “Phewy!” to that saying. Words do hurt!
Psalm 64:3-4, “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent; they shoot suddenly, without fear.”
The last part of verse 6 in the same chapter says, “Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.”
See, “bullying” has been around for a long time. Hmm, now that I think about it, it has been around since the beginning of man. Satan bullied first to Adam and Eve.
I was in a verbally abusive relationship at one brief point in my life. Unfortunately, that brief moment lasted quite a long time in my mind. Through God’s power and forgiveness, He cleansed my mind and heart and healed me through it all. Did I forgive? Yes. Did I forget? Honestly, no. I believe I haven’t forgotten so it can be a reminder as to how powerful our words and what we say to people truly are.
I see it daily, yes, daily, in middle school. Oh how I wish I could sit them all down and have a “come to Jesus” meeting with them. I hear on the news and from others the horrific effects of bullying. The verbal abuse of someone is like poison (just as it reads in Psalm 64). It breaks my heart when I listen to the stories of bullying.
I want to encourage you to:
· Pray for your enemies. (Matthew 5:44, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (those who treat you badly)”
· Stand up for the weak. (Psalms 82:3, “Stand up for those who are weak.”)
· Love others. (Leviticus 19:18, “Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”)
· Control yourself. (2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”)
· Call out to God. (Psalms 18:3, “I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.”)
· Hate it like God does. (Proverbs :16-19, “The LORD hates these seven things: eyes that show pride, tongues that tell lies, hands that kill innocent people, hearts that plan evil things to do, feet that run to do evil,witnesses in court who tell lies, and anyone who causes family members to fight.”)
Whether you are a bullier or on the receiving end of being bullied, it needs to stop. Like another famous quote my momma always told me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
May 21
