Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Titus 3
Psalm 100:1-5
Proverbs 26:18-19
Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, "I was only joking."
~ Proverbs 26:18-19
Have you ever squeezed too much toothpaste out of the tube? Once it's out, you can't put it back. It's the same with what we say. Once words leave your mouth, you can't take them back and you can't undo the damage they cause.
I remember being taught the saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" when I was pretty young. Of all the lies that we try to convince ourselves of, this one might be the biggest. Sure, breaking a bone does hurt, but to say that you can't be hurt by words couldn't be further from the truth. Physical wounds heal, but the damage caused by harmful words can last for years. The image this Proverb puts in your mind is pretty vivid. Someone who speaks carelessly can cause as much damage as a madman yielding a deadly weapon.
It can be hard to control what you say. I guarantee that we are all guilty of hurting others with what we say. How do we stop ourselves from being this madman with a deadly weapon? The answer is found in Titus 3: "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior." Because of God's mercy, because He gave us new life, because His Spirit lives in us, with His power, we can keep this madman at bay.
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