Proverbs 13

You can’t get very far into the Bible without realizing that words are to be taken seriously. In fact, imagine having the kind of word-power God has: the Bible begins by explaining that whatever God spoke suddenly appeared! “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Gen 1:3)

Wow, what if our words carried that sort of power! But, wait a minute. Perhaps they do: “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” (vs 3) I found that verse incredible! Our words—and our words alone—have the power to preserve us or ruin us.

If that’s true, we should be much more careful about what we say.

All the while, modern technology is ever making it easier and easier to “speak rashly.” Think about what it was like a hundred years ago, when communication was pretty much relegated to handwritten letters. Not only did it take time to actually write the letters, but the mail was slow, and it took a while for the letter to arrive and then receive a reply. Outside of face-to-face conversations, there was little opportunity for rash communication.

Then, the invention of the telephone expanded the opportunity for more rash conversation beyond the boundaries of face-to-face communication. It probably wasn’t too long after the phone was invented that receivers began being slammed down in the heat of anger or frustration.

Next, the advent of computers, email, smartphones, Facebook, and Twitter (where you must distill your thought into 140 characters or less!) now make it possible for us to “spout off” about anything before we even have the chance to think twice. Thus, I would wager that far more words are spoken rashly than sensibly.

Why is that a problem? Because our words are important. We may not be able to say “let there be light” and suddenly see where we’re going, but our words really matter. What we say not only influences others, but it reflexively influences us, too. Our expression deepens our impression, meaning that the things we say serve to cement those ideas in our minds. Having a thought is one thing, but speaking that thought out loud takes it from the realm of the abstract into the realm of the concrete.

Make no mistake about it: our words have consequences!

May we always think before we speak. May our words always be measured in the same way our God measures His words. And may we always take our words (both to ourselves and others) as seriously as God does, speaking every word in love, seeking always to uplift and never to tear down.

That’s what God does.