The message etched in my heart was “You’re worthless!”
“You’re just like your father—moody, no friends, no personality. You’ll never amount to anything.” Growing up, I heard these words—and others even more hurtful—over and over.
The old sticks and stones adage is bogus. Words do hurt. They go down into our innermost being like a heat-seeking missile and lodge there. Some folks don’t intend harm when they spout off hateful words. After all, hurting people hurt people. Others use words as weapons of mass destruction, planning their strategy carefully.
A well-known speaker and author told about a comment directed at him when he was young: “You’re just stupid.” He shared how those words took root and impacted his life for years.
The mean-spirited words spoken to me as a child (and even as an adult) replayed in my mind like an old 45 RPM with the needle stuck in one place. I rehearsed those comments for years until God revealed His truth and set me free. He showed me His opinion of me was the only one that counted.
Many voices speak in this world. The naysayers and critics are inevitable and unavoidable. They’ve always been there, and they always will be—just take a look at the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
The Devil is called the accuser of the brethren and the father of lies. His biggest weapon is deceit. But we also have the voice of the Spirit, speaking words straight from the Father’s heart. Our only defense against the lies is knowing who we are in Christ and what His Word has to say about us. The question is: Whose voice are we going to listen to?
Years ago, Ron Kenoly sang a popular song entitled “Whose Report Shall You Believe?” If you’re not familiar with it, check it out online and study the powerful lyrics. And the next time negative words are hurled at you, throw up the shield of faith and ask yourself, Whose report will I choose to believe? Then tell yourself—and the enemy—I choose to believe the report of the Lord.
(Photo courtes of Free Digital Photos.)
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Andrea Merrell is an award-winning author and professional freelance editor. She is an associate editor with Christian Devotions Ministries and was a finalist for the 2016 Editor of the Year Award at BRMCWC and the 2018 Excellence in Editing award by the Christian Editors Network. Andrea is a graduate of Christian Communicators and was a finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards and the 2018 Selah Awards, as well as a semi-finalist in the 2018 ACFW Genesis contest. She has been published in numerous anthologies and online venues, teaches workshops on writing and editing, and is the co-founder and regular contributor to www.TheWriteEditing.com, a blog designed specifically for writers. Andrea is the author of Murder of a Manuscript, Praying for the Prodigal, and Marriage: Make It or Break It. Contact her at www.AndreaMerrell.com.