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Blogs > kevin22 > My Blog


kevin22
(Kevin Murphy) 46M
335 posts
12/15/2009 1:37 pm
Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones... Proverbs 17:5 (NIV)
He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker.

When I was in first grade, a few friends and I began to choose who would be "in" and who would be "out." One of the first "outs" was Lois. She came from a poor family and couldn't dress as well as the others. She was also slow in class, which didn't help. So we quickly excluded her.The "in" group rejected Lois as a person-slowly at first, but ruthlessly as the years passed. By the time we reached high school, she was the butt of countless jokes. When we were seniors, she had such an inferiority complex that I don't recall seeing her look up from the floor that entire year.
Years later I recognized my false values and my haughty, foolish evaluation of Lois. I wept when I thought about my cruelty to her. I asked God to forgive me for my arrogant, childish behavior. She was made in the image of God every bit as much as I was.
Peers can have poisonous tongues. William Hazlitt wrote, "A nickname is the hardest stone the devil can throw at a man." Some never forget the names they have been called.
Here are a few nicknames we've come across: Dummy, Pit-i-ful Paul, Messy, Fatso, Peewee, Runt, Brick-Brain, Ornery, Grasshopper Brain, Yo-Yo, Troublemaker, Slow Learner, Bones, Motor-Mouth, Sloppy, Sleepy, Devil's , Nerd, Turkey, Lardo, Bird Legs, Space Cadet, Rebellious, Simple Sally, Buzzard-Beak, Metal-Mouth, Freckle-Face, Weirdo and Geek. Names like these can really hurt.
The way your mate views himself today was heavily influenced by his peers as he grew up. Even today, your mate may be very peer-dependent. He may self-consciously wonder if he's wearing "just the right" outfit or using "just the right" lingo. He may doubt his ability to relate to your friends.
As we've said elsewhere in this devotional, you are a mirror to your mate. You can still stop those condemning voices from his past by replacing them with positive words in the present.

Prayer:

That you will take the opportunity to build your mate's self-esteem with positive words.

Discuss: How did your peers view you as you grew up? What were your nicknames as you grew up? Share any feelings about those experiences with your spouse.



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