Psalm 19:14

I have been putting of writing another blog post for a while. For several reasons. 1. I've been busy doing nothing. 2. I haven't really had anything important to say.
Not that I usually do. But I write for the sake of writing. I love to write. And I communicate so much better when writing instead of in person.
But now I have 2 ideas of things I want to write about. 1 I'll cover tonight, and the other I'll get to later sometime :)
I was reading the latest blog post on the Lies Young Women Believe. (http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=2022)
Basically, she was talking about how important it is to let go of hurtful comments people make and how we can't let those get to us.
It's so easy, especially when you are a young person/teenager--to get defensive when people make comments. So often people make a comment--just as a joke or a passing comment. They never meant for us to take it seriously, or they said something in the heat of a moment that they never meant. They may or may not apologize, and we forgive them.

 But that old saying: "Forgive and Forget?"

Not so easy.

Forgive?

Sure, at least in time.

But forget?

That's hard. Really.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? Really? Words will never hurt me?

Whoever said that must have been a hermit--or deaf.

Words can hurt.

A lot.

And if we aren't careful, we take what they say and hold on to it. Usually, they never meant anything by it. If they knew how much they hurt you, they would feel so bad. But if you are like me, you take that hurt and push it deep inside of you in this nice little "box of hurts". You lock it up and don't let on how much you hurt.

Until you can't take it any more. And you lose it. Big time.

You have focused on those words--those cutting remarks that have pierced your soul over and over. You get so caught up in those, you forget about God. It was maybe an innocent remark. Like the time someone close to me called me an airhead. It was said as a joke. But it hurt. I buried that remark deep inside. The person who said it still doesn't know how much it hurt. But I do.

We have to step away from the hurt and look to God. We have to remember that He was wounded for us. He was bruised for our sin. (Isaiah 56). Because He was hurt, we don't have to hold onto our hurts. Sure, people will say and do things that may sting. That hurt. But we can let go. You may not forget. But you can forgive. Let go. Give it to God.

I Peter 5:7--Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.

God cares for you. All of you. He wants those hurts and burdens that you have been carrying for who knows how long. Let them go. Give them to Him.

The flip side of this is watching what you say. I am, by very nature, a very sarcastic person. When someone says something, I usually have some sort of snarky comeback. Even if someone says something that hurts me, they usually won't know. Because I can joke and pretend it's all good. But I have been told I talk to fast, too loud, and too much. I say things in jest that can be hurtful. I  stop thinking . . . . true story ;) Actually, somedays, I wonder if I ever started. But I don't want to be the person that unintentionally causes a fellow brother or sister in Christ to stumble and fall into bitterness because of something I said as a joke. I want everything that I say to be glorifying to God. Sometimes we have to say things to someone that they are not going to like. But it can still be said in a spirit of love.

A challenge: run stuff through your brain before you let it come out of your mouth.

Something my mother taught me years ago: (Sorry, Mom, for not usually remembering).
Before you speak, think. "Is what I am about to say true, kind, and necessary?" If not, it's probably best to leave it unsaid.

I titled this post Psalm 19:14. This verse is one you are very familiar with. "Let the Words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy site, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.".

Let me break that down for you. I talked about 2 different things in this post. Holding onto hurtful things people have said to us and dwelling on them--basically bitterness. And saying hurtful things to other people--not thinking and being kind and Christlike. Both what we say and what we think about (the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart) need to be acceptable in Christ's site. WWJD is way overused in Christian circles (at least it used to be, it's not as popular anymore). But if Jesus were here, would you say that? If Jesus were reading your diary, would you be pleased for Him to see what you dwell on the most?
The second part of the verse is the reason and how we can do the first part. The Lord is our redeemer--why we need to be loving and not dwell on past hurts. He is also our strength--the reason we can forgive and move on. The reason we can be loving.

Christ gave everything. Love others.