The other day someone remarked that teenagers and young adults aren’t as resilient to bad-mouthing and verbal bullying as we were. And I agreed because we had tough skin and were told not to wear our emotions on our sleeves. With this you-can’t-get-to-me attitude, we avoided confrontations, fights, and disputes, and more importantly, we stayed out of trouble.
But what about the invisible scars from enduring such verbal hostilities? Yes, we had to deal with those, and often alone.
Do words hurt?
The Bible tells us about words and how harmful they can be.
Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) says, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
The words of the reckless are reckless words. This verse tells us that reckless, or irresponsible people’s words pierce like swords.
We know that people do a lot of reckless things. Some reckless behaviors include reckless driving, reckless drinking, reckless spending, and also reckless talking.
To say that cutting words or a piercing sword is unpleasant is a gross understatement. Based on Proverbs 12:18, these words not only inflict emotional pain but also physical pain. If people believed that words can cut to the bone, they would be more careful with their tongues. Whether emotional or physical, words can inflict pain.
Besides being reminded that we should choose our words wisely, what do you think about when reading Proverbs 12:18?
I’ll tell you what it reminds me of. “The words of the reckless pierce like swords” reminds me of the untruthful saying, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.’
I remember using this line all through elementary and middle school. And I told my younger siblings to say the same thing when someone was nasty or trying to bully them.
The N-word was the worst, but I knew people who used it were not only ignorant but were un-Christ-like.
To be honest, ugly uncomplimentary words hurt our feelings, some worse than others. Our feelings determine our emotions or moods: happy, sad, depressed, frustrated, etc. We can also feel beautiful, ugly, smart, dumb, young, old, etc. How we feel is relative to our perception of things done and stated. Feelings and emotions are interchangeable when talking about one’s mental attitude or health.
We all have feelings
As adults, the sticks and stones line may pop into our heads, but it isn’t worth mentioning to an adult bully to combat an insult.
Adults don’t throw sticks or stones. Like their expletives, their weapons to inflict injury are worse.
Psalm 64:3 {NIV) also speaks to words and their ability to wound. “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.”
Comparing Proverbs 12:18 to Psalm 64:3, there’s no difference between a reckless tongue and one that plots evil; both inflict pain, and their tongues are weapons.
Acknowledging that words do hurt is the first step to avoiding scarring.
Praying for the reckless and plotters who inflict injury with their words is a salve that heals the wounded.
Hurting others is a learned behavior. Remember, most people inflict pain because someone injured them, and their wounds haven’t healed.
Be safe.