How many of you remember the childhood saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? Well, after all these years, I’m here to tell you… it’s NOT TRUE. Words do hurt. Words have the power to uplift or tear down a person, their self-esteem, and confidence. Words can not only hurt, but they can dampen the light of hope and fire that God places in each of us at birth.
The truth is that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of an awesome God (Psalm 139:14). We are destined for greatness because of whose child we are – God’s. There will always be naysayers and critics in the world. The enemy uses who he can to kill, steal, and destroy the lives and the light of the children of God because that’s what he does – kills, steals, and destroys (John 10:10). But there’s no period after that sentence. The rest of the verse tells us what Jesus says: “I have come that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.”
The key to overcoming the critics in your life is to remember who God says you are and whose you are. We are children of the most high God. Since there is no failure in God, there’s none in us. In his book, Resisting Happiness, Matthew Kelly reminds us that we need to “live our lives for an audience of one: God. If you’re doing what you believe God is calling you to do in your soul, walk on.”
We may not be able to stop our critics from spewing poison out of their mouths, be we don’t have to drink it. Know the truth and allow it to do what it always does – set you free.
Peace and Blessings,
Gail