Just Words...
It all starts with twenty-six harmless little letters. Then we string those together into hundreds of thousands of words. So far, we’re doing all right. But, the next part is what ends up getting us every time. We throw those words, willy-nilly, into sentences and actually speak them.
Now, for the most part, there’s nothing wrong with that. We tell people we love them, how much we appreciate them or even to move because they’re about to get hit by a car. So, words can be helpful and are important, but words can also destroy.
In the Bible, James talks about how dangerous the tongue can be. He says that all kinds of wild animals can be tamed, but no one can tame the tongue. He says that a huge boat is moved by a small rudder, and that it’s the same deal with the tongue. He also says that, just like a consuming forest fire is started by just an itty-bitty spark, the tongue starts its own infernos.
We tend to say stuff without really considering the consequences. Oh, you’ve put on a few pounds there, I see! Have your ears always been that big? I hope you didn’t pay money for that jacket! You’re so stupid. When you throw around matches like that, you’re going to set a fire that may well end up consuming that person.
“Oh,” you say, “one piddly thing I say isn’t going to do that! They need to get a backbone!” You’re wrong. You’d be surprised what one misplaced word can do to a person who is already insecure. You’d be surprised how insecure one misplaced word can make someone who was doing pretty well before. Words can destroy and we should be as careful with them as we would with dynamite.
So, the next time you open your mouth, ask yourself if what you’re about to say is helpful or hurtful. (No, you can’t just say it “because it’s true.”) Also, is it necessary? Probably not. God tells us that we are to be about building one another up, not tearing one another down. So, zip it.
-Chad
