Jump Start # 3638
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
It started out as a wonderful Saturday. I was home and we had no company. The weather was nice. So, it was a day to spend outside working on the yard. I mowed, pulled weeds and then got the weed eater out. I was nearly done. The place looked great. Behind our house is a massive woods. We have every kind of bug, spider, cricket known to mankind. As I was weed eating something bit me. I thought it was a horsefly. They can do that. But this hurt, really hurt. I’ve been stung by wasps, bees of all kind before. Then, there was a sharp pain above my elbow. Then another one on the back of my knee. I had hit a nest of yellow jackets. They were swarming out of the ground and I was the target. I dropped the weed eater and ran to the house. I don’t know how many times I got stung, but man they hurt. They really hurt. I called for my wife who is a nurse. She put stuff on it and I had just a little wasp spray left and I went back and used up all I had. I then went to the store and got a two can pack of hornet spray. I used one whole can spraying into the hole where they came out of. I finished weed eating and then took some charcoal fluid and sprayed that heavily on the ground and tossed a match. For a moment I thought I might start a forest fire. About four hours later, I sat down for dinner. I was still hurting bad. When I went to bed that night, it had been eight hours and I still was in intense pain. My sweet wife was putting all kinds of stuff on the stings. I last looked at the clock around 2 A.M., twelve hours later and I was still hurting. I prayed, a lot. How could something so little hurt so bad? And, why was it still hurting so many hours later?
The Bible talks about stings. Death stings. It hurts. It can make us cry. And, the pain doesn’t go away quickly. But another sting that happens so often are words. Our verse today reminds us that death and life and in the power of the tongue. Words like gossip, lying, insults, character assassinations, name calling all sting. We were told that sticks and stones break bones and words never hurt us. But that’s really not true. Long after the broken bones have healed, we remember the mean things that people have said. For some, they remember for a lifetime. Growing up, you may have been told that you couldn’t do anything right. You may have been compared to an older brother or sister, which only created resentment. You may have had a spouse say the cruel words, “I no longer love you.” You may have been stung by the mean words of a brother or sister in Christ. They ought to know better, but acting out of selfishness, they have said things that have made it hard for you to return to that congregation.
Stung…stung by the words that come from cruel hearts. Now, for me, I nuked those yellow jackets. Smoked them out with fire and the spray of death. But you can’t do that to someone who has said unkind things to you. What are we to do when someone has stung us by words?
Consider these thoughts and I hope they help:
First, it doesn’t accomplish much to get into a verbal argument with someone who is mean and intent on hurting you emotionally. Like a couple of three-year-olds, you can jump into the “no I’m not” and the “yes you are” exchanges. But that never turns out well. Some are not interested in the truth, the facts or what really happened. They just don’t like you and want to sting you.
Second, God knows the truth. You know the truth. Much of the insults and complaints are not factual. They are said to turn people away from you. True friends will find the right answer. True friends will stick with you. And, as long as God knows, that’s really all that matters.
Third, by dwelling upon the stings, you continue to hurt yourself. Things were said. It hurt you. If they are true, then make the changes that you need to make. If they are not true, which happens most times, don’t allow that to set your course of action or direction in life. The righteous of God have been mocked, ridiculed, insulted and persecuted. Why should it be any different for us? Some of the worst things said comes from our own family. People who should love us the most, actually hate us the most. Put those hurts in an unmarked grave and do not leave flowers there. Do not go back and visit that grave again. Surround yourself with people that love you, support you, and have the heart of Jesus.
Stings hurt. They can really upset your plans and your day. One good thing about my encounter with the yellow jackets is that I was to teach a group of teens the next evening. I was looking for something to talk about. Boy, the Lord gave me a lesson—stings in life. I only wish the Lord gave me just one good lesson, instead of so many.
Stings—they hurt but they don’t define us nor destroy us.
Roger