Oatmeal Baths
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:1-4
Insight
Sitting in an oatmeal bath, itching like crazy, I made my peace and wanted to die. Meeting my Maker and not having to deal with the sunburn to end all sunburns felt like a win-win. A bit of backstory: years ago, I made the mistake of not putting suntan lotion on while visiting a waterpark during the summer I spent in California. Being an East Coaster who knew how to handle the humidity, I foolishly believed that the cool breeze and dry heat meant those pesky rays wouldn't bother me.
Boy, was I wrong. Everything stung, tingled, and ached. I was miserable. No matter how I lay, I couldn't get comfortable. The constant heat radiating from my body reminded me repeatedly of the wounds my foolish behavior caused.
Our words sting just as much. We can all think of a time when someone spoke harshly to us. Those words, spoken long ago, influenced how we perceived ourselves - our worth, identity, and purpose. They crushed our spirit.
Those words opened up painful wounds. Wounds so sore that some might still be healing. As a result, we're not comfortable in our skin because they are influencing who we are today. Only God's forgiveness can soothe those hurts.
The same holds for our words. The words we speak have profound implications. They may be small, but they hold incredible power and weight. Words are a powerful tool that we can use for good and harm. Words can build up and tear down. What comes out of our mouth brings healing or undermines our connections with others by causing pain.
Our words can help as well as hurt. Unfortunately, there are times when we're producing the burn, and for that, we must confess to God and seek forgiveness, if possible, from those we have hurt.
Counting our words teaches us to be conscious of them and their power to bless or curse those around us.
Reflection
Where have careless or hurtful words damaged a relationship?
How can you repair this connection by asking for forgiveness? What would it look like to use your words to speak life into that individual?
Prayer
God, forgive me for words spoken in anger, fear, and haste. May I pause not only to consider their impact on others and ask for forgiveness; but also take it a step further and ponder what's happening inside my heart that led to those words spilling out of me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.