Daily Devo...speak life not death

Mean girls (and boys). I've been studying and reading about this topic for my upcoming youth series I'm planning to do on bullying. One thing that I've learned, or I should say, I was reminded of because I did indeed already know this is: mean people say mean things!

Their words are like bullets, aimed for the weakest part of our hearts and emotions. I can recall moments of intentional rudeness aimed at me, when I was younger and even now as an adult. Words have such a lasting effect on us and when words are intended to hurt us, well that's just hard to swallow.

God gave each of us the power to say the same amount of words each day. Well, for women it is said they speak 20,000 words a day while men speak under 10,000. Our words have the power to give life or death. Unfortunately, some choose to use a portion of their daily allotment to be rude, disrespectful and just down right mean.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and erase all of the hurt that words have caused, but I can't. But I know Who can. God not only can change your heart but He can change that mean spirited person in your life. God don't like ugly now, so if you are that person speaking words of death upon someone...STOP!

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." (Song of Solomon 4:7)

God sees our beauty, even when we don't. Hurting people often can't see past their hurt, likewise mean people say hurtful things because they themselves are hurt about something.

How to handle the mean one in your family, at your church, in your classroom is to do what Jesus would do; see the beauty that lies under all that stuff and no matter what they do or say; choose life.

Speak words of life. 20,000 words a day: let's use them for good.

(Side note): this is going to be a great study coming up for our youth!! Pray with me for our young people who deal with bullies everyday at school. 🙏

BLESSINGS. Laurie