Words Have Power, And We Will Be Accountable for Every Careless One We Say

From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;

he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits. -Proverbs 18: 20-21

We live in an age of information overload. Words are bandied about, information is everywhere, and words are flying at us, seemingly, faster than the speed of sound. It is hard, with so much information everywhere, to discern what is real and what is false. I wonder, though, how often are we the source of the false information, or, worse, praising the name of God with our lips (or fingertips on social media), and then cursing someone made in His image? Consider how often we use words (And for someone who speaks, writes, and preaches, this is a frightening concept), and how often those words have caused destruction.

As far as I can discern, there are three main ways in which our words can use damage. The first, and the Bible addresses this often, is the way in which we curse someone made in God’s image. I don’t mean a hex, or a spell, as some might think, but how we condemn people based upon a great (or minor) dislike we have. Everyone we meet is made in the image of God, and every soul is one for whom Christ has died. Whether politicians, preachers, murderers, martyrs, sages or scandalizers, we use our words to build up, or, as is more likely to be more often, tear them down. If we considered that eternity is at stake, that we have been, through Jesus Christ, forgiven of more than we can ever realize, and that it is not my neighbor’s sin that I will give an account for, but my own, this should get us to consider how we regard our neighbor. I will stand before God for what I did, what I said, and what I thought, and I will be measured by His perfection (the Law), and, apart from Jesus Christ, I will fail. So I ought to consider, if I am indeed saved, my heart, and indeed my words, concerning my neighbor.

The second thing we can do is give permission for things that cause people to stumble. I don’t know how many times I have accidentally, by word or action, given permission for a weak sibling in Christ or an unbeliever to do something because my words and my actions didn’t align, or because I carelessly said something, whether as a joke, or in conversation. The biggest criticism levelled against the Church is that it is full of hypocrites, people who say one thing and do another, or people who claim to follow the Bible, but their words and actions speak otherwise. It doesn’t matter if the people levelling the accusations are, themselves, hypocrites or not; we MUST let our words, thoughts and actions point everyone to the goodness of God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ! Test every word, thought and action against the Word of God, and pray that they align! And if not, we need to change.

Lastly, we can, whether by design or accident, give people the wrong impression of what is true or not by planting a suggestion in their minds. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “Brian said,” or “brother/sister so-and-so said, and I find it to be true,” when, in fact, it is a matter of opinion, stated strongly. An example is “If you read a chapter (or more) of the Bible a day, you won’t really retain anything from it.” While I agree certain verses need deeper study, I think this notion (and others like it), is completely untrue for people as a whole, though it may be true for some people.  When we were students (or if we still are), we were often expected to read whole chapters, or even more in books during our studies. Conversely, throughout our lives and for pleasure, we have often read whole books in a single afternoon. We retained information well enough, and often would go back to the parts we needed a bit of clarity on.

I know this is a big example, but it goes to show how a suggestion can often defeat someone else’s mentality toward the Christian walk! Another brief example is when other believers tell someone who could be impressionable “I sin, but I’m only human.” This commentary on life isn’t given maliciously, but without realizing it, we could have just as easily given someone permission to sin because, after all, we’re only human! Watch your words, and beware of the impression you can give with them! Be wary of using your words! Make sure they are purposeful! The tongue has the power of life and death, and we ought to be very aware of this every time we post, speak, or consider the latest “news” of the day.

Mark 12:33-36

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.