Words Hurt

Malaysian Sunset

Actions speak louder than words.  This statement is very true.  You see I have not been able to tell anyone that I am a christian and that I believe in Jesus Christ as lord and Savior.  I have not been able to tell people how much God loves them and how Jesus died for them.  I have, on the other hand been able to love people through my actions.

Siti is a 19 year old girl that olivia and I tutor every day.  She goes to public school but they don’t teach her English there.  The little English that she does know she has learned at the Center.  In the school that Siti goes to she gets switched if she gives a wrong answer or asks a “Stupid question.”  When we first started teaching Siti she was very nervous and very shy.  She didn’t want to ask any questions or tell us that she was not understanding something because she had the fear of getting switched.  We had to tell here that we are here to teach her and that we want her to understand.  We told her that it is ok to be wrong and it is ok to ask questions.  We have been patient with her and we have brought in Mrs. J. to translate when we see she is not getting something.  In our last session she thanked me and Olivia for taking the time to get Mrs. J. to make sure that she understood the concept.  She said that she appreciated us for being patient with her.  You see she is seeing God’s love through me and Olivia this month.  Siti is seeing a tangable difference in us.  Even though we can’t tell her who we are and what we believe right now we have planted that seed for someone behind us to come and share verbally who Jesus is.  She now knows that she can be comfortable and at ease while she is at the center.  She has learned that it is ok to be wrong and it is ok to ask questions.  

I have learned that words are not the only way to share Jesus.  1 John 3:18-19 says “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth.”  We need to be loving with our actions not just  our words.  You are not going to talk to everyone you see but, you can smile and wave at everyone you see.  You are not going to have a full on conversation with your cashier but you can be a friendly face for them.  

How are my words going to affect the person that I am saying them to.  God is teaching me this more and more that words hurt.  Words are powerful.  They carry a lot of weight to them.  When you say something to someone it can really tear them down or it can build them up.  God has given me more of an awareness of the words that are coming out of my mouth.  

I challenge you to be more aware of your actions.  Are you being friendly with everyone?  Are you being patient?  Are you loving no matter what? Are the words coming out of your mouth tearing someone down or building someone up?  These things are hard to do at times.  I am not perfect that is for sure.  I still struggle with this, God is teaching me more and more that words are powerful and what you can say can either tear someone down or build them up.  What are your words doing?