Yesterday my dear friend posted this picture on Facebook after her two and four year olds attempted to brush their teeth on their own. Now to be perfectly honest, my kids are older and still do this! (sigh) My friend looked at the scene before her and saw a mess but she also saw wasted toothpaste that could not be put back into the tube. It was out there. Too late.The same is for our words. We can not take words back once they are out there. We can not carefully shove them back in our mouth any more than we can carefully put toothpaste back into the tube. I know I have spoken on our words before but this topic is very important to me. Our words can make or break someone.
Recently I heard a women criticizing her husband for something very silly. While he tried to be tough and act like it didn't bother him, I saw his eyes. She was breaking his spirit. I've seen mothers yell and criticize their children and they think they are only correcting them, but they are doing it in a way that is breaking their spirit. Our words have impact.
Think back over yesterday. Were your words encouraging to those you communicated with? Did they uplift someone? Or did your words come out harsh and mean? Let's honor God with our words. Let's encourage others and show them the love of Christ. Today, watch your words.
Sweet Blessings~
Linking up with:
Titus Tuesday
On Your Heart Tuesday
Soli Deo Gloria
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What a great analogy. Once our words are out there...they are out there. Thank you for the challenge to think before I speak today.
ReplyDeleteWords do hurt. It may be hard to think about what we say before we say it. I don't this ruin my life but was hurt by a 11th grade teacher telling me I would never amount to be anyone but I am a child of the King! A princess.
ReplyDeleteI have a sermon about this using toothpaste that I do in children's church. Words, once said, can never be erased from the hearer's hearing! I looked back over yesterday and I can honestly say that I think it was a 'good' day. I have been working on this for some time. Perhaps I am making progress! (*smiles*)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I know there are words "out there" that I wish I could take back. God is working on me too. I want to be gentle and speak love and encouragement into lives. Great words today, Jenifer!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenifer - I love this post, mostly because I know I am guilty of all of it, the harsh words spoken in anger instead of being quiet and letting God talk into the situation. Thank you for the reminder. Others words have hurt me, but then so have mine hurt others.
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
Great analogy! I grew up with a lot of harsh words and it greatly impacted me. I can be harsh with my kids and my husband sometimes and I'm always unsettled when that happens. I want to honor God and lift them up with my words.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this today! It's been a rough day from the beginning with my children! I've been on the verge today of throwing several words "out there"! That's another mess that I just don't feel like cleaning though! What a great analogy! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful encouragement for everyday. Our words can hurt like knives or they can be soft like the breeze. Stopping and pausing is something I try to do so my words are a little more carefully chosen...but alot of the time I blow it!:)
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy. And thank you for the reminder. I try to be so encouraging to others but let down my guard with my husband. It is something I needed to be reminded of.
ReplyDeleteTerrific analogy, and wonderful reminder to use sweet words. Popping in from Darlene's. Hello!
ReplyDeleteMuch Love & Blessings,
ESTHER
www.oursimplecountrylife.com
Esther, so glad you stopped by! It is nice to "meet" you! I love the name Esther, it is my daughter's middle name. :)
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your sweet words of encouragement that came via email today. I really appreciate them! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is something I'm really trying hard to do better with. Great post... and we have all been there with the toothpaste. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! So thankful I stopped by from Shanda's. Love the toothpaste analogy, this one's going into my memory book!
ReplyDeleteWords truly are powerful things Jenifer, and you're right; once they've been said, they're "out of the bag" for good. We should all work to have the things we say to others glorify God, not tear His children down.
ReplyDeleteHave a Blessed Day!
Honoring God with our words -- so important, for when I think back " was this honoring to God" I can immediately feel peace or conviction.
ReplyDeleteMay we all think twice and then speak if necessary.
I love this reminder. Something we have needed many times especially lately in the midst of family drama. I am loud and honest and I need to remember that at times it is good and others it is bad. I have actually added this into my prayers lately. I have caught myself teasing my husband about something he did wrong and realize kidding or not it is hurtful. I want to be the wife who raises her husband up and her children up not ever to tear him down. I think I will take a lesson out of this and make a habit of taking a moment to remind myself of my words and there impact as I brush my teeth each morning.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post--and what a great picture! I know so many women who are so, so hard on their husbands....I think they seem so tough and strong to us sometimes that we just can't imagine how much our words can hurt. Thanks so much for the reminder; I wish everyone could read that paragraph.
ReplyDelete