A friend posted this quote by an unknown author on her Facebook page today, “If the words you spoke appeared on your skin, would you still be beautiful?” Unknown
That alone is a powerful question worth pondering for a moment.
But her status update got me thinking deeper about the question. If the words we spoke to others appeared as wounds on the skin of those spoken harshly to, would we change the ugliness of our words? If people could physically see the way words injured the heart and soul of the people around us, would we withdraw the weapon of our tongues?
If only we could taste the words as they crossed our own tongue towards other people. Truly words cut deep. The childhood song, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” could not be more further from the truth. We are walking wounded. Not only do words wound, but their poison can seep into the lives of those we afflict with our carelessness.
It is worth taking a moment or more to think, pray, ask forgiveness, repent, restore, and work tirelessly to tame our tongues before, during and after words fly past it.
Words are so easily spoken but can have such immense meaning. Great post, thank you for sharing.
Yes! And I think if someones love language is words they are more wounded by cruel words and more lifted up by kind ones.
Great reminder. It’s better to keep quiet and ponder a reply.
Sometimes that is super hard but so worth the effort.
Wow, powerful! Thank you.
Thanks for reading my post and taking the time to comment.
Oh Yes! I needed this reminder. It’s never been more important than now to not only be aware of what we say but also how we say it. That is profoundly evident on social media, where tone is assumed and often intended. We shouldn’t wound others. It just causes more wounding from backlash. And even more important, what we say and how when we interact with our children and spouse. It sets emotional events into motion that sometimes run out of control.
Proverbs 15:1-4 comes to mind. Good wisdom to follow.
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
So true! And I think with so much interaction happening online people have lost some of their filters along the way.
I wonder if we would speak unkind words if we realized how ugly they made us look.
I totally agree.
Kayla,
Your post has me thinking as well now. I never understood that song about Sticks and Stones because words do hurt but our feelings aren’t seen so others assume we are fine.
Thank you for your wisdom.
Michelle
I didn’t understand the song either as a child. I sometimes wonder if it was meant to be ironic.
can you plz explain the meaning of this quote -> “If the words you spoke appeared on your skin, would you still be beautiful?”.
Here is another way of putting it: Are the words you are speaking so unkind, ugly and hurtful that they would mar up your appearance with ugliness if they showed on your skin?