A sword or a salve – we must choose – 8.9.22
One of our favorite things to do when the kids were little was to spend time reading to them right before bedtime. We had a virtual library of Childrens books in the house and we read them often. Certainly, we had some favorites, as well as some that we would bury at the bottom of the pile! I can probably still recite Goodnight Moon by heart. So many great books that conveyed important messages to our kids, and candidly, lasting impact on us adults that regularly read them. There is something powerful about simple, beautiful stories that convey truth that endures long after story time is over. One of our surprise favorites was the Tale of the Poisonous Yuck Bugs (picture above). This is not a classic, but in a home with 4 children, a story about the power of words became essential reading! You can check it out for yourself, but it is a simple tale about how one group of bugs used words to tear down another group of bugs. It is because of this book that I memorized the following verse from Proverbs 12:18 – “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” I wish I could tell you that I was never reckless, that I never weaponized my words to pierce someone else like a sword. Unfortunately, I know I have been too reckless with my words.
I began thinking about the power of words and the Yuck Bugs not too long ago on a trip to the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville. Tab and I were visiting some family at the convention center and we took a walk to the mall for lunch. As we strolled toward the food court we overheard some live music in the center of the courtyard. We both recognized that it was pretty good so we decided to grab some food and swing back by and sit and listen for a little while. I am so glad we did. We don’t do that enough, simply sit and listen. We were blessed by some great live music, but there was one song that I found particularly poignant. I have provided a link to it above if you’d like to listen. It is called, Put Down Our Words by Aaron Bucks. Take a minute to check it out. The lines that really captured my attention and imagination were the following:
Put down your words – and I’ll put down mine
Let’s get back to loving each other – more than we love to fight
His words so clearly illustrate our propensity to weaponize our words during times of disagreement, contention, or frustration. The vivid word picture was arresting to me – words were equivalent to a weapon that had to be physically put down to prevent injury to another person. Indeed, careless words do pierce like a sword. Each of us has that kind of power. We better put down our words and get back to loving each other. the Bible has much to say about the power of words. Consider the following nuggets of wisdom.
Proverbs 18:6-8 The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 10:19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
James 3:3-12 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
I don’t know about you, but this is pretty convicting for me. We have to be careful with our words. The age-old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me”, simply isn’t true, and it is certainly not Biblical. It is a dangerous sentiment. Words have power, life and death kind of power. They have influence, the kind that tears down, or the kind that builds up. We must be careful how we use them. Friend, educator, leader, Christ-follower – our words have power, how are we using them? I want to put down my words and make sure that I am loving others more than I love to fight. I do not want my relationships, my influence, or my testimony to be tarnished because I can’t demonstrate self-control in the way I wield my words.
One of the most startling scriptures on this topic comes straight from the mouth of Jesus. As He addressed the Pharisees regarding the relationship between their heart and mouth, He said, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Mt. 12:36). Did you catch that – every empty word spoken. To be clear, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but this verse should serve as a startling reminder that our words matter. I need to hold myself accountable for the words I speak, we need to hold each other accountable, we are all accountable for our words. Put them down, love others.
Where can I put this into practice? Which relationships need healing (tongue of the wise)? Who can I build up with my words? Perhaps it is someone in my family? A co-worker? Maybe it is my social media? Maybe even just a stranger on the street? We notice when people do this well – they make a difference! Remember, our citizenship is in heaven – let us use our words to demonstrate this to a wounded, watching world.
I have to confess that while we were listening to Aaron Bucks at the mall, we noticed an Elvis impersonator was taking in the tunes as well. He was probably approaching 70 years old, but he was pretty slick, and he was definitely on the prowl. As he casually strolled past the crowd, he took a minute to use his words to encourage Tabitha while I stepped away for a minute. True story and makes me smile to this day, but it also reminds me of all the missed opportunities I have not taken to encourage the person that means the most to me in this world. Let us commit to take advantage of all the opportunities we are given, to put down our words, love others, encourage them, and build them up (1 Thes. 5:11)!
In Him,
Andy
An Alien Journey 