Sticks, Stones, and Opinions

WORDS

Words can be used to create (Genesis 1:1)

Words can be used to destroy (Genesis19:24)

Words can uplift (Isaiah 41:10)

Words can tear down (Jeremiah 1:10)

Words can change the world (Romans 12:2)

Words can stop progress (Genesis 11:7-8)

There are many words in this world.

Are you using them in hate or in love?

VOICES

Many voices are heard (1 Corinthians 14:11)

Many voices give opinions (Romans 14:1)

Many voices are blaspheming His name (Exodus 20:7)

Many voices are praising His name (Psalm 150:1-6)

Many voices don’t care (Proverbs 21:13)

Many voices do care (Galatians 6:2)

There are many voices in this world.

Which voices will you listen to?

Which voices matter?

There are so many voices in this world that use different words. The words we use every day can mend a broken heart; or, they can destroy hope. So many times we walk through our lives only thinking about ourselves. We never pause to think about the words we are about to say. Sometimes we hurt the people we love the most without realizing it. Yeah, go figure the saying we used to say as a child is wrong. You know, “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” Words do hurt so we need to be careful how we use them.

The voices in this world all seem to have different opinions. And that’s okay, because that’s the way that God made us. The problem with all these voices comes when we don’t know which voices to listen to. It was especially difficult for me when I was in middle school. I thought that the measure of who I was was whatever people thought, or said, about me. If that were the case I can tell you that I would be bad off. My self-esteem would be out the window; but that is not the case. I realized that I didn’t need self-esteem; I need God-esteem. The only opinion that should matter to us is God’s opinion. The only voice that we need to listen to is God’s. True sometimes it is hard to listen to Him, we don’t understand Him, or we can’t hear Him. But, it is still important that we do our best to follow Him. We will fail at times; but He will be with us and forgive us if we only ask.