WORDS KILL

What triggered this post was when i saw this photo of a girl taking pictures of her Magnum Ice cream. She got thousands of likes. And thousands of horrid comments. And well, here i am now, writing about WORDS.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only what is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." -Ephesians 4:29

I remember when I was in 6th grade.. We had a halloween party at school and I dressed up as a fairy godmother. It was in one of the students' houses and on my way out, one of the moms came up to me, put her arm around my shoulder and while smiling at my mom from afar whispered "You disgust me". I still remember those three words perfectly. How it was said. When it was said. But why it was said... i don't think i'll ever know. Either way, these words have obviously stuck to me. It has affected my life more than i could even imagine. 

After that, I found myself being more and more conscious of what i ate and how i looked. Slowly, i became more and more insecure. Months later, i found myself not eating at all and a few months more, found myself going through anorexia. And there, i lost my identity to seeing bones sticking out of my body. I know for a fact that God had used that moment to mold me into who I am now, but what i'm trying to say is... WORDS HAVE THE POWER to either kill or bring life. And while contemplating on what to say about this, I realized how I, in many ways, have said things that have bruised people deeply.

It may not be as blunt as the way that parent said it, may not be as mean or as bad as things i've heard in soap operas but it still wasn't so nice. I've had that time in my life when friends and i would find ourselves talking about certain people then reason out how we're "praying" for them when in reality, we're just denying the fact that we're talking behind their backs. I know people who just love hating on other people and talking about it and while at it, quotes verses on twitter/ facebook as if nothing's happening behind the computer at all. Almost every time i go online, i see someone hating on someone. Pictures of people fighting, going against Lady Gaga's concert, how much they hate the president, how much they hate society, religion, the heat, well, i think i've made myself very clear... lots of people hate on lots of things! 

K, let's say, you're not hating on anyone. Let's say, you're just not liking the weather so much you feel the need to whine and complain... Is it really worth saying? Yes, you can feel. Yes, you can hurt. Yes, you can express yourself. Yes, you should be honest. But it also says in the Bible that in EVERYTHING give thanks. How to balance that, i'm sure you'll figure it out. But always remember, that before you say anything, is it really worth saying? 

Bottom line is: whether you like the person or not, everyone deserves to be respected. That girl in the photo might've never had a magnum her whole life or just felt like taking a picture with it... Let her be! That "friend" you seem to hate so much just because he/she has certain qualities you don't like.. i'm sure you have certain qualities people don't like about you either but you wouldn't want them talking behind your back now, would you? If the weather's too hot, yes you can say it, but not to the point of whining and complaining. Be thankful! The Philippines is a beautiful place and i'm sure people in places like Alaska would love to have some of that heat! :) 

Again, it's not about what's right to say, it's about what is wise. Do your posts inspire people to run after their dreams or to run back in the shadows? Do your words encourage or do they discourage? Think about it.. What really do all those hate statuses and hate comments do? Do they honestly do any good to you? Does talking behind someone's back make you or that person any better? Does constantly complaining about how hot it is in our country make it possible to snow in the Philippines? What difference do your words make? Don't get me wrong, i struggle with this too! But i've chosen to be careful with my words. I don't wanna hurt anyone with such carelessness and cause someone else to go through what i've went through.

See friends, we can express ourselves, be honest and madaldal if that's how you (we) are.. But we ought to pray that we not say less or more of what God wants us to say. Words are very powerful. It can either encourage life or take away. It says in the Bible that we should tame our tongue, for it is "full of deadly poison" (james 3:8). It says to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. But most importantly, it says that "A gentle tongue is a tree of LIFE". 

Are the words you type on that keyboard and those that come out of your mouth pleasing and glorifying to God?

 ;)