Healing Over Hurt
What you do with your frustration determines what happens to your relationships.
Scripture:
Proverbs 11:14 — “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
Proverbs 18:21 — “The tongue has the power of life and death…”
Ephesians 4:29 — “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…”
Devotional Thought:
Gossip is the enemy of healing. It takes a real hurt… and turns it into a deeper wound.
Every time we talk about a person instead of talking to them, we:
• distort truth
• build assumptions
• deepen hurt
• weaken trust
• widen distance
Gossip says, “Let me win allies, not resolution.”
Guidance says, “Let me seek wisdom so reconciliation can happen.”
The difference is the direction of your words:
Gossip = talking sideways.
To people who can’t fix it. To people who can only fuel it. To people who validate feelings but don’t challenge them.
Guidance = talking upward and inward.
Upward — to God in prayer. Inward — to wise, spiritually grounded people who lead you toward peace, not drama. Guidance doesn’t take your side — it takes God’s side.
Gossip takes the wound deeper. Guidance leads the wound toward healing.
Here’s a simple test:
If what you’re saying would change if the person walked into the room,
it’s gossip — not guidance.
Jesus raises the standard even higher: Not only “Don’t gossip with your words,”
But “Don’t entertain gossip in your heart.” Because whispered conversations in the mind become spoken conversations with others.
Where you direct your words determines where your relationships go:
Sideways words = sideways relationships.
Upward and inward words = restored relationships.
Reflection Questions:
- Who do I run to first — God, wise counsel, or venting partners?
- Is there someone I’ve talked about recently more than I’ve talked to?
- What would happen if I invited humility into the conversation instead of frustration?
Prayer:
Lord, guard my tongue from causing damage.
Guard my mind from rehearsing bitterness.
Give me the courage to seek guidance,
the humility to receive correction,
and the compassion to pursue reconciliation.
Make my words instruments of healing,
not weapons of hurt.
Amen.
Daily Practice:
Today, choose one of the following:
Option A: Confess.
Tell God the person or situation you’ve complained about.
Repent of any gossip in thought or speech.
Option B: Clarify.
Reach out to someone you trust spiritually and say:
“Can you help me see this situation clearly? I want wisdom, not validation.”
Option C: Communicate.
If the time is right, begin a direct, grace-filled conversation with the person involved.
One step toward guidance
is one step toward healing.