Today's Scripture: Proverbs 4:1-27Today's Devotional: Even as you strive to stop saying toxic words to others, you will still have to deal with toxic words being said to you. As a result, you must do what God's Word tells us to do when others speak toxic words to us: you must guard your heart against them.
Response by: Doug Giffin
I’m afraid I don’t have much of an answer to today’s question. Guarding my heart against toxic and hurtful words has always been difficult for me. I’ve always been soft-hearted but yet I know hardening one’s heart isn’t the solution. Unfortunately the world moves many in this direction. The thing is a hardened heart repels the bad and the good in turn. Still, if we don’t harden our heart we remain vulnerable to hurt just like we do if we allow ourselves to care for and love people. And I think that’s at the core of Christianity. So what’s the solution? Must we remain punching bags and martyrs to those that will hurt us with their words?
Perhaps if we are able to love those that speak hurtful or toxic words to us we can take the sting out of those words. We can resist the all-too-human urge to respond in anger or hurt or withdrawal. We can forgive those that speak in hurtful ways and care for them enough to council and minister to them so that they don’t hurt others. It’s a tall order but one I really think we should strive for.
Something to talk about: Imagine if everyone chose one person in their life and tried to do this. What kind of world would we live in? How could our own lives be brightened?
I think one of the strongest things that stops people from being able to minister to those that say harmful things is the desire to "return the favor" mindset. If I can only show them how much their words hurt me by doing the same to them, they will be more likely to change their ways. Sadly, that mindset is too common and very, very ineffective in making changes to people's hearts that say the hurtful things.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of picking one person to simply stop allowing their hurtful words to attack your heart and to treat them with kind words is a challenge to be accepted by all. Start with one person, either a difficult person or someone that you can more easily make the change with when they talk to you. Either way, success there will spread within you, and hopefully within them when they do not feel the sting of toxic words back but words of love.