The Human Sword...

The Human Sword...

Danielle Joyner Kelley

March 30, 2009

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21.

Often we take for granted the power of our own words. And although we fail to see the importance of what we say, God is aware of what is being said.

From the beginning, God spoke the universe into existence. In the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, we are told that God said "Let there be..." for example, "light", and "there was light". Genesis 1:3. This goes on and on until the universe and world as we know it are formed. The Bible does not tell us that God formed a million molecules and atoms in those precise words, rather it tells us that He said "Let there be..." and then it was.

God knows the power of the human tongue. This loving protector wants to keep you from sin in every way possible, and knows that this is the instrument you will use the most in committing it.

Before you open your mouth examine why you are saying what you are saying because He is. God is always examining the motives of the heart and the thoughts in the mind. Pretend you are before Him and He is asking you why you said something that you said. And be prepared to give a good and just explanation because God, most likely, does not listen to excuses. He knows why you are saying what you do before you even think to say it. Don't forget that.

You may even argue that you say more good than you do harm, but God was aware of this possibility. "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:9-10. When you are talking about someone with no good purpose whatsoever, you are also talking about one of His children. You are not the only one on this Earth He created.

What comes out of your mouth has a great effect on your own life as well. As seen by the scripture above, "The tongue has the power of life or death...". What you allow yourself to say can come directly back on you. Speak positively even if it is about yourself. How often do we run around saying, "If I don't do this then this will happen..." or "No, I can tell you what will happen...." or "What is going to happen is...." and then something negative follows that sentence? When you do that you are condemning yourself. How often does that negative thing happen after you said something like that and then you feel justified in going back to the person you said it to and saying, "See I told you so". Meanwhile yes, you look so intelligent because you predicted it and then it happened, but what you are failing to realize is it might not have ever happened if you had kept your mouth shut. Remember the words that my cousin has always told me when I say something negative, "Out of your mouth speaks life or death."

Jesus knew that the tongue would cause great harm. He let us all know that we would have to answer for every word we utter. "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37.

You words also affect those around you more than you could ever realize. Don't wait to realize that on the day of judgment when every word you have ever spoken is shown back to you and the ripple effect it had on others. Even if you are going through a bad time, take the time to build someone else up. Learn to be selfless because that is how Jesus was. "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Luke 6:40. If you ever doubt that, look at the Cross and ask yourself if you even know what "selfless" means.

Many people believe that with every move we make, what we say can be forgotten easily. But your mouth often steers your own actions. "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." James 3:3-5. You can turn your entire ship by your small rudder: your tongue.

Watch what you say. Don't assume that you know how it will affect someone else. You do not know unless you are inside of them. Everyone is so different, and God knows it, and He also knows the effect what you say will have on that person because He also knows their heart and thoughts. Be prepared to own what you say - it is your own responsibility. God warned us because he knew how much trouble our own mouths could cause.

Those bad words will inevitably come back to haunt you - either because they harmed you or someone else, so make sure you weigh each word one at a time.

And know this - whenever you say something to someone about someone else "in secret", you have an audience besides just that person. God is watching everything that you say. You are never alone truly.

"A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you`re looking down, you can`t see something that`s above you."C.S. Lewis.