How to Combat Hurtful Words

Which creed do you live by?  An eye for an eye or do unto others as you would have them do onto you?  Perhaps you live by the creed that vengeance belongs to the Lord. 

I think it’s safe to say that everyone of us deal with hurtful words.  Some of us might deal with them on a daily basis.  The old saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” just isn’t true.  Words do hurt!

Hurtful words are almost like a poison that travels through your bloodstream, harming everything in its path.  It eventually reaches the heart, destroying it.  The reality however, is that you don’t have to allow the poison of hurtful words to harm or destroy anything.

I have dealt with hurtful words my entire life.  Probably the worst are those that come from the very ones we love, those who are closest to us.  I have experienced moments in my life where I grieved, cried and plotted my revenge.

Today, I have a new way to combat hurtful words.  If I don’t say it directly to the person I reflect on it in my heart.  I combat hurtful words with the Word of God.  Matthew 12:36 says “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken.”

If you really take the time to consider the implications of this, you stop feeling sorry for yourself and you start to feel sorry for the person who utters the hurtful words.  One day they will have to stand before God and give an account for EVERY careless word.

Not only do I find this a great way to combat hurtful words, it is a stark reminder to me that I must be careful about what comes out of my mouth.  How many times I have carelessly spoken something? 

One day we will all stand before a God of Judgment who will ask us to explain why we said the things we said.  I personally don’t see it as a day where we try to explain away, to make excuses or justify.  I think that for once, we are going to be totally silent and have nothing to say.

So the next time someone says something hurtful to you, remember Matthew 12:36.

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  1. Stephanie – so very true and a timely reminder.

    August 25, 2010
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