Proverbs 16:24 “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

If I said nothing else this one Scripture says it all. But I want to tell you about how careless words bruised my heart, my mind, and my soul for many years.

I was sick a lot as a child, I was highly allergic to just about everything particularly things outside, I had Asthma which put me in the hospital many times, I was pigeon-toed, knock and kneed had slightly bucked teeth; and usually had dark circles under my eyes, and my eyes were swollen from where I was always crying or scratching at them. I always had banged up legs from getting hurt while roughhousing outside; I was a tomboy and I did not want to be inside doing girly things. I was being abused and no one knew about it and I cried a lot! My nickname was water-faucet! You get the picture I was a typical child, but with some extra things going on.

I was standing in our kitchen talking to my mother, and for no apparent reason other than she had been lost in thought she looked at me and said with a slight laugh, ” you’re not ever going to look like anything.” It wasn’t said in a cruel way, she was just musing over my current look I guess, but it pierced my heart and soul and

I would carry those words with me for the next thirty years. Those words would be the first thing that greeted my mind when I looked in the mirror in the morning. I formed my opinion of myself based on those words and my opinion of what I thought others and God thought of me. Every morning it was like having a fresh wound; I would stand and stare at my reflection wondering
why I do not measure up!

It was at a Woman’s retreat with my church and we had been talking about the labels we carry on us, not visible ones, but those put on us by others, society, self. And this “you will never look like anything” kept pounding through my mind and God said now is the time to drop this label once and for all, I took it to the Lord and really talked to him about it. It was not that he was unaware of how I had felt for all these years, or that I wanted to have approval so badly. He just wanted me to come to my Father and lay it down, let him heal me.

I went to the prayer room, fell down on my knees and poured my heart out to God telling him how much these words had hurt me and how I wanted them to lose their power over me. So, I asked him to let me know what he thought about me and to remove the hurt of these words. These scriptures were healing. Did he see me this way? Do I measure up in his world?

Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” God tells me in Psalm 17, “I am the apple of His eye.” In Deuteronomy 7:6, God tells me that I am “His treasured possession.”

I realized that God loves me and created me exactly how he wanted me. And I made the decision that day with his strength and assurance that he had formed me and loved me just as I was; I was going to meditate on his love for me first thing every morning. As a result of this, I have a half bath that the walls are covered with the names of God, bible verses and entire songs written down. I have reminders taped to my mirror. (Yes I write on my walls ) and I found out when I watch “War Room” for the first time I already had one, it just did not have a name.I am surrounded by his word and His word brings life and healing! He showed me that my words have power to hurt or to heal. I choose healing! Will you?

We never know how a word spoken carelessly can damage a person. So, let’s all try to be a little kinder and use words to encourage and build up.