“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” How sadly untrue this statement is! Anyone who’s endured verbal and emotional abuse will likely say otherwise. There is so much power in our words. It’s not dirty looks or gestures that are likely to start wars. As far as I’ve known, wars have started over words; disputes, arguments, etc…
Bible teacher and author Joyce Meyer has a book with a title I couldn’t resist called, Me and My Big Mouth! Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose. This book takes you through the scriptures of the Bible that refer to our spoken words where Joyce then elaborates her thoughts.
Please read what the Bible has to say about the tongue in James 3:5-10:
“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things, See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a word of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought no to be so.”
What comes to mind is Ecclesiastes 5:3, “A fool’s voice is known by his many words” Think about how careless our words can be. Have you ever said something that offended someone without the intention to do so? Have you ever regretted saying too much to someone? When Jesus says in Matthew 5:37, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ mean ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”, I believe it was because He knew the damage that comes from saying too much; which can lead to gossip or even unknowingly incriminating yourself.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Think this is extreme? Consider those that have taken something offensive to heart and harmed themselves or others. A young lady could take a comment that implies she’s fat as a seed in her mind making way for an eating disorder. On the other hand, our words of encouragement can be a tremendous blessing to someone who we never realized needed to hear it.
When words are spoken, it’s almost as if it’s physically solidifying what is in our hearts. There is obvious spiritual significance in the words we speak or it wouldn’t be stated in Romans 10:9-10:
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
I believe there is such an importance in being able to manifest though your speech that Jesus is Lord because of what Matthew 12:34 says, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
More scriptures:
- Proverbs 12:18, “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.”
- Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
- Psalm 141:3, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
- Proverbs 15:1-4, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
- Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
I believe what God wants us to know is that we shouldn’t be careless with our speech because the words that come from our mouth have so much more power than we might think. I struggle a lot with the “gift of gab”. I need a constant reminder to get to the point I’m try to convey so my words don’t confuse, entangle or harm.
Scripture references are quoted from the NKJV.