As usual, I stayed up too late last night causing me to over sleep, leaving me only about half an hour to get ready for church this morning.
I scampered throughout the house, throwing myself together enough to be presentable for church and the outside world and managed to get to church on time.
Praise God for that because it was an awesome service with great worship music and a fabulous sermon with a very important message.
Words are powerful and can set the course for our entire lives. Something small, one small word or a short sentence can have a huge lasting impact on the lives of many.
This applies to every area and season in our lives, but is especially true with the painful words of verbal and emotional abuse and the cruel, shaming and biased words of stigma.
Remember once you say something, the words are out and you can never get them back. You can say your are sorry or you were just kidding, but you can never erase the words from the mind of the listener. The damage or beauty has been done.
Once a spark is ignited it can not be taken back, the spark is out and it can start a large forest fire permanently damaging and destroying everything in its path. The fire can be put out, but the damage has been done.
Just like a horse can be led by its rider, I need God to lead my tongue and my words to be spoken as He would speak to others, with patience, kindness, compassion and love.
Spoken words that are cruel, shaming, unjust, judgemental, biased and unkind to others are spoken with the absence of God’s truth and love in your heart.
We need to choose love over the sound of our own voices.
Our mouths speak with what our hearts are full of.
Words are powerful and can set the course for our entire lives.
Words of stigma are very powerful and can set the course for our entire lives.
Stop mental illness stigma.
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3
Copyright © By Susan Walz and myloudbipolarwhispers.com – All written content and personal artwork is © myloudbipolarwhispers.com and Susan Walz. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner/artist is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to My Loud Bipolar Whispers and/or Susan Walz with appropriate and specific directions to the original content. (My words and thoughts were inspired and followed the sermon by Pastor Jon Riener at First Free Church in Onalaska, WI on July 2, 2017).
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/scamper/
Wonderful post! Yes, words are actions. Irretrievable bullets.
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Thank you. I am happy you liked it. I like your words”irretrievable bullets” I like that… very true. That is exactly what stigma and hurtful words are. Hugs and blessings. Sue
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The same right back to you, Sue. 😊
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