Such urgent statements may have invited skepticism, but, to the soldier on the ground, stray comments presented very present dangers. A careless words could cost lives. King Solomon would not have laughed at such dire warnings. The sagacious kind understood the power words have to destroy. In Proverbs 10 he reminds us we have the power to raise or sink the spirits of the people around us with our words.
Take a moment to think about your recent conversations. Have you felt nourished by someone's encouraging words? How did those words lift you up? How did you respond? Or perhaps you remember when someone's language wounded your spirit. Maybe you were torpedoed by a thoughtless comment from a neighbor or struck down by a destructive argument with a family member or friend. We have all experienced the withering force of cruel words. But consider the effects of good and kind speech. Just as foolish talk can bring death, truth spoken with love can lift the discouraged soul, restore dignity to the oppressed and heal the broken hearted. God places great importance on our words. The apostle Paul did too. He said, "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6).
Your words have the power of life or death. You can wound another's spirit or protect another's dignity by the words you speak. Choose your words wisely. Kindly nourish and uplift those around you.
-Women's Devotional Bible
[Proverbs 10:21]
The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
[Ecclesiastes 5:2-3]
2 Don’t
make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God.
After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your
words be few.
3 Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.
[Ecclesiastes 10:12-14]
12 Wise words bring approval,
but fools are destroyed by their own words.
13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
14 they chatter on and on.
No one really knows what is going to happen;
no one can predict the future.
[James 3:1-12]
1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
2 Indeed,
we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we
would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.
4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.
5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
6 And
the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness,
corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it
is set on fire by hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,
8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?
12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
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