"One cannot ignore how, in voting for Donald Trump, his supporters made a conscious decision to cause pain and harm to their fellow citizens. In understanding the allure of Trumpism, the pleasures of political sadism and the psychological wages they pay cannot be underestimated. Ultimately, Trump represents the worst aspects of America's national character distilled down into one human being."

Above was an excerpt of an opinion piece by Chauncey Devega, a Salon News writer.

It is time to rethink then retire the adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me."

From the beginning of creation, every action or reaction is preceded by words.

In the beginning, God said, "let there be light."

Words came and will always come before light or darkness.

Are you listening to the hostile rhetoric between Kim Jong Un of North Korea and President Donald Trump of the USA?

What happens next?

Words can stir the soul with negative or positive impulses.

When the soul is stirred, the body will move in the direction the soul dictates.

Just ask Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He is presently nursing five broken ribs after a verbal altercation with a neighbor.

Unseasonable words have a debilitating effect on our well-being.

Did you hear or read about the insensitive comments of Michael Felger, the Boston radio announcer, about the tragic death of Roy Halladay, the former baseball player? I wonder how the hurting widow feels about that.

Injurious words can permanently and irreparably damage the psyche and, consequently, the physical body.

A police report in Pennsylvania states: "Man snapped woman's neck, ripped her eyes out after she rejected his marriage proposal."

The pastor of the Sutherland Springs, Texas First Baptist Church was faced with a dilemma which he expressed to a friend. It was an eerily prophetic desire that presaged the tragic event, "how do I tell Devin Patrick Kelley, who took the life of his 14-year-old daughter, you are not welcome here."

Authorities believe that a possible trigger for this horrific event was his estranged wife and mother-in- law, telling him words that he did not want to hear.

No matter who you are, no matter how strong, powerful or wealthy you are, words have, can and will hurt you.

Nobody reading this article can truly and honestly say that they have never been affected by spoken or written words.

Whenever we hear, see or read certain words, we are tempted to blow up with anger because we are inconvenienced, accused, shamed or ridiculed. Then words or bullets can fly around without control.

At such times, oh, how we need to adhere to Psalm 141:3, "set a guard, O Lord over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips."

Even people who ardently support President Trump will acknowledge that his unrestrained use of Twitter is a glaring weakness and hurts him and everybody else.

Here is how one retiring (and tired) Congressman termed it.

Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. is a moderate Republican in a competitive district who’s retiring after more than a decade in his seat to Yahoo News, “Just the tweeting every day — outlandish statements, inappropriate comments.”

My friend Nancy, a Trump supporter, arrived at this conclusion:

So what do I see? Why would God place someone like this to head our country? Because I have no doubt that God had His hand in this. I find America not much different than Trump. I see a parallel in his behavior to America's. We've done a lot of good, and have so much potential for good, yet we have so much to be ashamed of and that we've gotten wrong. Maybe God wants to make us aware that in order to get it right and not embarrass ourselves, we must follow His wisdom and not follow our own ways. Because it can't be denied that we have definitely gone on a downward spiral. Trump is nothing more than a reflection of the condition of the US. Perhaps God gave us a mirror.

Do you remember this chorus from 2016, still echoing in some circles today, "lock her up" - referring to Hillary Clinton? Why? 33,000 "grossly negligent, possibly treasonous" e-mails-- a collection of mishandled words.

So, are your words gracious, helpful, timely, pleasant, kind and uplifting? Setting a guard over our mouth requires that we keep our mouth shut when we are irritated and that we seek the Lord's help to say the right words with the right tone. Otherwise, slowly, think carefully about this now--shut the hell up.

Gracious words are a honey comb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs 16: 2

As apples of gold in pictures of silver is a word spoken in season. - Proverbs 25:11

For the tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. - James 3:6

Oh! How we yearn for and earnestly agree with Philip Bliss, the noted hymn writer, when our spirits are bathed and refreshed with:

"Sing them over again to me , wonderful words of life

Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;

Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty

Refrain

Beautiful words wonderful words wonderful words of life,

Beautiful words wonderful words wonderful words of life."

V. Knowles is a husband, father and prison minister with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.