My dear readers,

Sharp Words or Healthy Tongue?

Proverbs 12:18: “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.”

There are innumerable Bible verses on the tongue and careful words. We know how damaging careless words can be to oneself and others. Yet, controlling the tongue and minimising the damage to self and others have not diminished in churches and the world. Hopefully, there has been a marked improvement in the lives of born-again believers. Believers must diligently heed every verse of warning on controlling their tongue given by their heavenly Father to His beloved children. The numerous Bible verses on careful words signify man's great weakness in controlling his tongue and the greater damage done to others and himself.

Proverbs 12:18 is one such verse!

The Hebrew word for “speak” means “to vociferate angrily.” It is not commonly used in the Old Testament to describe speaking since it appears only four times (cf. Lev 5:4 - twice; Ps 106:33; and Prov 12:18). Using such a word here means that the emphasis is not only on the manner of speaking, but the motive behind the spoken words. Proverbs 12:18a implies that the speaker is very angry. Even in righteous anger, the Bible warns believers not to sin (Eph 4:26). How much more when the anger stems from a sinful heart!

Sinful anger bears the fruit of retaliation with the desire to destroy. The angry person does not care who and how he destroys. He lashes out, intending to eradicate someone’s character and good name. He can be calculative as the anger might begin small, like a spark. He feeds it with constant mulling until the spark becomes a tiny flame. His façade remains unchanged when he sees the person. He might smile and speak politely with him even if his heart is simmering like a volcano about to erupt. He bids his time to do maximum damage, even as he has

begun to spread lies whenever the opportunity arises. These opportunities usually arise during Bible study or dinner gatherings where the targeted person is not around to defend himself. What better way to attack another person than to do so under the guise of “sharing”? Everyone likes some juicy news about another person! How often have Bible studies become hotbeds of rumour-mongering and conduits of lies to destroy relationships? All Bible study leaders and teachers must take note to stop such evil transgressions so that they do not become partakers of such evil by their silence.

From the subtle and quiet approach, it soon evolves into an outburst of vehement verbal assault. Anger simmers from a slight fizzle to an atomic-like vociferous verbal abuse. This comes in many forms, from in-the-face shouting to mass emailing with the goal of absolute destruction regardless of the consequences to the work and witness of Christ.

The angry words are like the piercing of a sword! A physical sword cuts the body and kills the body but cannot touch the soul. But when words are hurled without discretion, they pierce the soul and heart. These inner wounds can destroy the motive for living, drain the well of emotions and of every drop of feeling and turn the mind into a pool of mud where every thought is confusion. The victim, who was once a holy witness for Christ, has been rendered helpless and useless, drowning in his sorrow and sinking deeper and deeper into depression. He stops praying because he cannot pray. He feels as if God had deserted him. He is so utterly despondent that he cries to the Lord to take him home, just as Elijah did when he fled from the wrath of Jezebel and was crushed by the thought that he was the only one in Israel who was faithful to the LORD.

Harmful words hurled at God’s children are direct attacks on God the Father who loves them, God the Son who died for them, and God the Holy Spirit who dwells in them.

But the tongue of the wise, i.e. born-again believers, is health. The “tongue of the wise” is contrasted with “speaking like the piercing of a sword.” The “tongue” emphasises the instrument from which words flow. The source of the tongue is the heart of the person. When the blood of Christ washes the heart, the heart is holy, pure and clean. From the heart to the tongue, from where the words flow, they will be from God in Christ. To the sinner who hears words that flow from the tongue of a pure heart, it will bring salvation to his soul. Is this not the most significant healing that every sinner can experience? To the discouraged Christian brethren, godly words lift their spirit to keep living for Christ in holiness and righteousness like the hand that lifts a man out of miry clay. The word “health” means “to cure.”

God blesses every child of God with a wise tongue because he has been given the mind of Christ to understand God's Word that will make him wise. There is no book on earth outside of the perfect Bible that can make a person wise and bring health to others. God has healed every Christian to become a healer for God. The healing power is in the powerful Word of God. The more the wise understands the Bible correctly, the more he becomes a better healer. He gives the right counsel to every situation in life because he knows the Bible covers every situation. He relates to every person in the biblical way because he knows the Bible has instructions and recorded testimonies of how God dealt with all kinds of people, including the devil and the demons in the spiritual realm. God’s children are His spokesmen. Their words are God’s Word. They must live according to God’s Word even as they speak it. The Holy Spirit will take the words of the wise, God's Word, to heal every heart, mind and soul. What a great privilege and honour to serve our heavenly Father in this way through our tongue!

Sharp words or a healthy tongue?

Conclusion -- To the ones who speak falsehood and with ill intent, the LORD knows and will surely judge. Do they not know that when they destroy the good name of God’s children, it is also the Name of Christ that they attack?

To the ones who listen to falsehood and believe and spread to others, they are worse than the ones who spoke it. These hearers and spreaders of falsehood have efficiently and foolishly done the work of the evil one.

Dear God’s children, let your wise tongue bring the health of God to everyone He brings into your life. Let us begin at home. Amen.