Speak Up

Sticks and bones will break my bones but names will never hurt me!’

Beware of that deception. We all need to be encouraged, praised, loved, and accepted. Our words can do a great deal of good or harm; the choice is ours. We all need the praise and encouragement of those around us. We should also give it.

Children can be very cruel…

“Now he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some young boys came out from the city and ridiculed him and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead (2 Kings 2:23-24 NASB).”

Name calling, teasing and mocking is known as bullying and has been found to be a root cause of school violence and shootings. Bullying is also found on the World Wide Web; beware of cyber bullies. Browse at your own risk.

You can be a positive influence.

Season your speech with grace.

“Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6 NASB).”

We should speak up for the hurting.

“Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:8-9 NASB).”

Sticks and stones can become altars of sacrifice and praise.