October 2, 2026
I’m about to show my age. Have you ever heard the saying, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never harm you?” I’m sure I’m older than most of you, so you truly may not have heard this saying before.
My mother used to say that to me all the time, especially when my sisters and I would get into name-calling. However, I have thought about this little phrase a lot lately.
It really is not a true statement. I was thinking about it, particularly in the context of what is going on in our world today.
You know, when we break a bone the bone can be set in a cast, and it will heal. When you get a bruise, it might look horrible, but it will go through the process of colors and then it will go away. If you are like me, half the time I don’t even know what I did to get that bruise. If you cut yourself or scape a knee, it might bleed but it will scab over and heal completely.
However, our words can be harmful. They can be a powerful weapon or a soothing balm, depending on how we use them. If you are called a name, someone speaks negatively about you, or even receive undeserved criticism, these things can be forgiven but they tend to stay in the back of our minds and sometimes in our hearts.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle with the “forgetting” part. There are countless things that I can “remember” that have hurt my heart and my feelings.
I honestly think Satan can keep these things in my memory to use them against me, trying to bring me down, and make me feel unworthy and bad about myself. I’m sure sometimes people don’t even know they have hurt my feelings and would never intentionally do so, but those are the things that my mind tends to remember. It’s an internal battle to replace those memories with the truth.
The one thing I can say I have never been criticized or spoken negatively about is the color of my skin, my religious beliefs, or my heritage. I can’t even imagine how deep those hurts could go. I feel as though those situations would be extremely hard to heal, forget, and sometimes even forgive. I can’t identify but I can, and must, empathize. I have not walked in their shoes, but I can walk beside them.
I can’t solve the problem of bullying, people who are judgmental, or racism but I can show the love of Jesus to everyone. I read a quote the other day that so struck the depths of my heart: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
We don’t know everyone’s struggle, but we do know everyone has one. If we all could just keep this one thought in the forefront of our minds it could change so very much about our world. Be kind. Always.
I think so many times we can get caught up in the desire to “be right” that we miss the “be kind” part. I think our world doesn’t need people who want to “prove they are right,” but it does need people who will listen, love, and be kind! Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.”
So today I’m encouraging everyone to be kind. Kindness is free. Kindness is contagious. Kindness is a necessity to change the path our world is on. The kindest person you will ever meet is Jesus and sometimes the only way people will meet Jesus is through our ability to be kind and show kindness.
I want to remember that my words can harm others. I want to be mindful of the fact there are hurting people all around me. I need to remind myself I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does. I am responsible for my actions, I reflect what I believe, and I don’t have to always agree, but I can always be kind. Proverbs 16:24 says “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and help to the body.” I pray I can be present and mindful every day to ask God to help me: help me to encourage others with my words, build bridges where they are needed, love others with the love of Jesus, and to always be gracious and kind.
Won’t you join me? I believe together we can make a difference for the Kingdom. Be kind!
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
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