| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The power of words” Our Bible verse for today: “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” Proverbs 15:1 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Be the one who breaks the cycle” “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” So goes the ancient children’s limerick. It is clever and it flows off the tongue easily and smoothly – it just isn’t true. Words can hurt you. They can hurt very much and they can cause deep wounds that don’t easily heal. There are endless stories about people (especially children) who have been systematically, repeatedly, and cruelly beaten down with words to the point that they are emotionally traumatized. This is how children become convinced they’re stupid, when in fact they are not. It’s how the victim of long-term emotional abuse in the home becomes convinced it’s his or her own fault – that they have brought the abuse on themselves by being the way they are. I wrote just the other day of how it is that some people end up spending much of their lives trying to get over their abusive childhood. The other thing about angry, cruel, and unkind words is that, as Solomon reminds us in Proverbs 15:1, anger begets anger. Recipients of angry words become the speakers of angry words. There’s an old truism about human nature that tells us, “Hurt people hurt people.” It’s our nature to want to do to others what they have done to us. That’s why children who were abused often grow up to be adults who are abusers. It’s why the one who is frequently exposed to the anger of someone else often displays anger of their own. The way to stop it is to be the one who breaks the cycle. Just because someone else has expressed anger towards you does not mean that you should express anger back to them (and especially not to other innocent people who had nothing to do with it at all). One of the biggest problems with saying angry, mean-spirited, and cruel things is that once it has been said, it cannot be unsaid. Once the words are out there you can’t take them back. The other person heard what you said and took it into their mind and heart. You cannot unsay it and they cannot unhear it. Let’s be the ones who break the cycle. Let’s all resolve to be cautious with our words. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
| Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TM 38571 |
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