What is Your “Stick”?

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

-Proverbs 12:18

Have you ever said something and then immediately thought, "Why did I say that!?"

I recently had a moment like that when I said something real weird during a chat with a friend. It got me thinking about how our words have power—they can either build people up or tear them down (or, I guess in my case, make them laugh). 

Since I started following Jesus, I've realized how much what I say matters. When I was growing up, there was a saying that went, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." But that's not true. Words can really hurt, and they can make us feel worthless and miserable.

But guess what? Our words can also heal and change lives! 

The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God spoke everything into existence. Words have power. Words matter. 

When you find yourself feeling stressed out, uncertain, worthless, or incapable…  take a second to examine your self-talk. I find that I’m often my own worst critic and can end up in an anxious spiral because of the things I say to myself. 

A friend once told me that all Satan has to do is give us a stick, and we start beating ourselves up with it. What's your "stick"? Is it that you feel worthless? Lazy, perhaps? Do you question if you're a good mother? Maybe you worry that you're not doing enough, not serving enough? Perhaps you've heard that you’re too much. Or maybe it's the opposite, like mine: feeling invisible and forgettable.

Take some time this week to name any negative, harmful, or untrue thoughts you have about yourself and then ask the Lord to give you a truth from scripture to combat it. Every time you notice that lie coming up in your thoughts, go back to the truth.