Discipleship Corner by Wendy Sykes
The Wisdom of Words:
Last week I emphasized our non-verbal words; that silent language that speaks quietly within our hearts in response to our Creator. Sometimes, we truly can be “struck dumb”, because there are no words, in any language, to adequately address the grandeur of God.
This final week on the topic of “words” is the exact opposite of that. It’s about the fact that there are so many words to choose from, that we must be discerning with our speech. Words can be used to harm or to heal; to create distance or to draw close. Words have the capacity to destroy a marriage, a reputation, a home, or even a country.
Theologian, Alistair Begg, shares this about the tongue:
Three things never come back: the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity. What we say cannot be unsaid. What’s more, we will be called to account for every word we have spoken—even our careless ones—at the day of reckoning (Matthew 12:36). As King Solomon put it, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3); and “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21). Our words can serve to encourage, to nourish, and to heal. But they can also cause strife, create dissension, and do harm.
Take a moment to dwell on that one scriptural fact: that both death and life reside in the power of the tongue. That is a serious conversation that we all need to have with ourselves.
Wendy Sykes Jones
Discipleship Council
