Words

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:5-8

Today I learned a valuable lesson about the power of words. On my status on facebook I made a simple comment about the plans for the day. In response someone I trusted made a comment that affected my entire morning, most of my afternoon, and most of all allowed satan to attack me in a very vulnerable area. She later apologized and tried to explain that she wasn't trying to hurt me and while that apology was accepted- the damage was already done. The fire had raged and left a trail of a hurting heart.

So, that lesson I learned- to always keep a watch on my words. Even words said as an aside- or meant to "encourage" could actually do just the opposite.

On the flip side- Proverbs 12:18 says: "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." I went to a trusted person requesting prayer for my heart and attitude (but I didn't provide her with details). That person figured out what happened and made the contact herself and through that plus the words she shared with me gave me great encouragement and provided the healing my heart needed.

In other "words" :) remember the power a word can have...