BITTER OR SWEET?

Proverbs 18:20-21 (MSG)   Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.  Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.

If we had to eat our words, how would they taste?  Bitter?  Sweet?  Out here in Arizona orange trees, grapefruit trees and lemon trees are loaded with fruit.  Some is good, some is not.  The thing is you really cannot tell unless you bite into the fruit.  Sure it all looks good and sweet on the outside but once you cut if open and taste it that is when you will find out if it is sweet or bitter.  

Words is that way also.  We may look beautiful on the outside.  Our hair may be styled, we may have our make up on, our clothes may be pressed and we have our Sunday finest on.   Then we open our mouth and the ugliness spews out of our mouth.  Words fly out of our mouth like mosquitoes biting everyone in there path.   Our words leave a path of destruction a mile wide.   Our words can literally kill someone's spirit and they can lead to death, physical as well as spiritual.

Let's be honest.  Most bullies use words first, we all know that.  But even well meaning people can kill us with their words.  Like I said I am talking about physical death as well as spiritual.  Because honestly, a lot of suicides happen after someone's hurtful, mean spirited words.  The old saying "Sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us" is bull!  Words can hurt us!

I am sure we have all experienced words that hurt us.  Innocent comments, well meaning words, as well has critical and harsh words can cut through our soul and lead to feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.  How many of you have felt the sting of words?  If I were to take a poll, I am sure the number would be surprising to those who uses their words to kill our spirits and bodies.  I know personally speaking words have often crippled me to the point of tears and despair.  How about you?

A lesson I learned quite a few years ago is this, people who use words to hurt others are often struggling and hurting themselves.  "Hurting people, hurt people" is a saying that has calmed me and helped me to realize this simple truth.  When I think back to grade school and high school, I realized that those bullies often used their words to hurt me because they were trying to make themselves feel better about themselves.  Although the words hurt, I now realize that the people throwing around the hurtful words, were hurting also.  Maybe there was someone in their life who was hurting them with words or worse.  

Listen we have a choice as to whether we allow words to hurt us or not.  We also have a choice as t whether we use our words to build someone up or tear someone down.  So chose your words carefully.  Sometimes it's  better to keep our mouth shut then to voice our opinion.  

"If you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all"

Lord please keep a watch over my mouth.  Help my words to be uplifting and encouraging, in Jesus name I pray, amen.