Words Have Power
Proverbs 18:21 NKJV, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
The Bible could not be more clear and to the point than the message of this verse. But how often do we speak in ways that ignore this truth? How often do we allow words to leave our mouth that produce harm? Something spoken can never truly be undone. Everyone carries this amazing power. But those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, whose lives are intended to display His nature, and who carry the Holy Spirit, need to recognize even more the power of their words. Additionally, we must take responsibility for the words we allow ourselves to hear. God created us with eyes that can close, and a mouth that can shut, but our ears are always open. Therefore in order to guard what we hear, we must master our environment. We have significant influence over who we allow to speak into our lives.
This truth must be applied to the conversations we engage in, and the company we keep. We cannot shut our ears, but we can walk away. In this day of constant connectivity through media, internet, and always on cell phones, we must develop a level of guardedness that previous generations would not have imagined. Within seconds nearly everywhere we go we can open an app and listen to words spoken, sung, or written by countless people that we have little genuine connection to, or knowledge of their true character. I regularly teach this principle but I’m also careful not to blame the tool. A computer or cell phone is nothing more than a very advanced tool. Just as a hammer can be used to tear down or build up. The digital tools of our day can also be used for either positive or negative impact. What determines the outcome of the use of a tool? It is the skill and intention of the one wielding it. God has given each of us amazing tools. We must learn how to manage these tools well. “To whom much has been given, much will be required,” Luke 12:48.
The entire universe was spoken into existence. How can we overlook the significance of the first story in God’s Word? Genesis 1:3, “Then God said…” Throughout the creation account God speaks into existence everything culminating with the creation of humankind in His image. As image bearers of God we must also acknowledge that like God, our words have creative power. Therefore we should always strive to speak words that impart life. Any form of accusation and fault finding is destructive. Even when we speak a word of correction or must discuss sin or failure in someone’s life, we should do it with love and the goal of imparting life and hope. The devil is called “the accuser” in Revelation 12:10. When we speak accusations we are speaking the language of the enemy. When we allow accusations of others to enter our ears, we are allowing the enemy access into our minds.
In every situation we are to give others the benefit of the doubt. Recently I was coaching a younger pastor through some emotional issues. This person was upset that another colleague had said something to a member of their church that seemed to dismiss or criticize something their spouse had said in a meeting at which the spouse, the church member and the colleague were all in attendance. My response was that trying to chase down what was actually said, and what the intention was is impossible. Even if the dialogue was recorded we all remember events differently and the intention and connotation of what was said may have been completely opposite from what was understood. What was needed was to deal with the emotional issue this younger pastor was facing. The emotional upheaval had to be dealt with before any attempt to bring clarity to the issue could begin. In fact once this young pastor spoke forgiveness over everyone involved and acknowledged that it was unlikely that the colleague would have intentionally disparaged the spouse or anyone, based on our shared knowledge of this colleague, the emotional charge vanished.
When someone approaches us and communicates that a third party did them wrong, we must not enter into the accusation. We do so by giving the accused the benefit of the doubt. We can hear out the complaint in order to give counsel on how the person speaking to us can respond. But we must keep in mind that we are counseling them on how to deal with what they understood was said, which may or may not have been accurate to what was said or intended. But if we too quickly believe the bad report and then if we repeat it we are empowering what very likely is an accusation. By doing this we amplify the destructive effect of gossip unintentionally. Simply adhering to the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty goes a long way in preventing gossip in our communities.
