THE POWER OF WORDS

 

THE POWER OF WORDS

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” How many of you believe that? Those words are contrary to scripture.

There is great power in words. They are greater than brute force with the exception that they can’t directly take another person’s life, though they can order it done. One can be a paraplegic and still have great power with the words he or she speaks.

A king of Heracleopolis said to his son, who was his successor: Be skillful in speech, that you may be strong…Words are braver than all fighting.” He said this in 2040 B.C., over 4,000 years ago.

The late Keith Green lists the different kinds of tongues, good and bad, in one of his pamphlets:

Psalm 5:9 – a flattering tongue

 

Psalm 12:3, 73:9 – a proud tongue

Psalm 109:2, Prov. 6:17) – a lying tongue

Psalm 120:2 – a deceitful tongue

Psalm 139:20 - They speak of you with evil intent;

    your adversaries misuse your name.

Prov 10:31, 17:20 – a perverted tongue

Prov. 15:4 – a soothing tongue

Prov. 12:18 – a healing tongue

Prov 17:4 – a destructive tongue

Ps. 10:7 – a mischievous & wicked tongue

Prov. 25:15 - a soft tongue

Prov. 25:23 – a backbiting tongue

James says the tongue is untamable, a restless evil full of deadly poison, used both to bless God and curse men. He also says that a man who doesn’t stumble in what he says is a perfect man. (James 3:2-10) Turn to James 4:11 & 1:26 also.

2 Cor. 12:20 - “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” Did you notice how most, if not all, of these vices spawn from words.


MISUSE OF THE TONGUE:

Gossiping is another lesson in and of itself. I tore a clip out of a newsletter that goes like this:

Mrs. Brown: “She told me that you told her the secret that I told you not to tell her!”
Mrs. Blue: “That mean thing! I told her not to tell you I told her.”
Mrs. Brown: “Well, don’t tell her that I told you she told me.”

We’ve all done this, haven’t we? Probably more so when we were young. By now we’ve learned the hard way the damage that gossip does, and we don’t like to be on the receiving end of it.

I Peter 2:1 - Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

James 3:2-10 - We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 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. 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. 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, 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. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James 4:11-12 - Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?

Matt. 12:36-37 – our own words snare us

Prov. 6:2 – Ensnared by vows & promises spoken but not kept

Matt. 12:34-37 – by your words you will be justified and condemned

A verse I kept on my refrigerator for years was this one:

Psa 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

One that keeps me from speaking so impulsively is this one:

Prov 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

As a writer, I want to look at the who, what, when, why, and how we should speak, as Christians:

To whom: Ezek 33:8 When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. Ezek 33:9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

Why - Titus 2:7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness Titus 2:8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

How (& Why) - Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Researched and compiled by Becky Wall