Taming the Tongue
The Importance and Power of Words—Part 1
Category: Taming the Tongue
Consider the importance of words. We are surrounded by words. Our bookshelves are filled with books...which are filled with words. The computer screen is filled with words. The dinner table is flooded with words (especially with three kids 8 and under). The church foyer is filled with words. Our iPods are full of words (except for the rare few who listen only to instrumental classical music). TVs, billboards, streetsigns, menus, brochures, mailboxes, email boxes, food labels are all covered with words. The locker room, water cooler, restaurant, doctor's office, board room, judo gym, classroom, hallway, work site, are all places where conversations take place and words fill the air.
We use words, either written or spoken, to communicate with others, to convey our desires, to make requests, to answer questions, to warn of danger, to express our love, to indicate our approval or disapproval, and so on. Virtually every meaningful aspect of life requires the use of words somewhere along the line.
Words are key components of productivity. When mankind had a universal language and could communicate with everyone else in the world with the same terminology, God Himself declared, "now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them" (Gen. 11:6). A common purpose shared by those of a common dialect will bring success. God's method of stopping mankind's universal plan was to confuse their words, to disrupt their ability to speak to one another.
God cares about words. To prove this, one needs only to remember that He entrusted the sacred truth of salvation to be transmitted and communicated by words (the "foolishness of the message preached," 1 Cor. 1:21). Christ sent His apostles into the world to "preach the Gospel." Preaching involves words. It involves one person speaking utterances to one or more people. In addition to the oral transfer of the Gospel by the disciples, God providentially ensured that the message was written so that generation after generation could read the life-giving words of eternal life in Christ. In our own day, mulititudes of people are at work translating the Bible into new languages so that the words of Scripture can be understood. We notice that the goal is not to draw pictures of Bible stories, or to produce silent movies, but to put the message of Jesus Christ into words capable of being read.
On the Day of Pentecost when the promised Spirit of God was poured out upon the Church, He was manifested not as a nebulous ghostly being, nor as a dove as previously, but as tongues of fire. His immediate effect upon the disciples was their ability to expound the Gospel through languages previously unknown to them. The Holy Spirit was about to embark upon a cosmic evangelistic mission, taking the Good News of Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the earth, and He would do so by the means of words.
The Importance and Power of Words—Part 2
Category: Taming the Tongue
Photo by B Tal
Not only does God care about words as they are used to communicate the essentials of saving faith, He also cares about how words are used in the teaching of all biblical doctrine. This is shown through a serious and weighty prohibition placed upon those who would be teachers in the Church: "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment" (James 3:1). When anyone takes it upon himself or herself to explain to others what God is like, what He expects, what pleases Him, what angers Him, how He works, how He thinks, how He saves, how He judges, how He wants people to behave, and so on, He had better get it right. To be wrong is to distort the truth of the living God. To be wrong is to lie about who God really is. To be wrong is to tempt people toward idolatry. In short, when we speak of God, we must make every effort to ensure that our words are accurate.
For example, one of the perennial debates among Christians is the meaning and nature of the term election in the Bible. One pastor stands before his congregation and declares that out of all people on earth God has chosen some to be the recipients of His grace in Christ, and that all the chosen ones, and only the chosen ones, will hear the Gospel and believe it. Another pastor stands before his congregation and teaches that God does not have favorites, that all men are equally able to believe the Gospel, and therefore that those who receive salvation do so because of their choice, not God's. One of those two pastors is wrong. Seriously wrong. And the words that he communicates to his church lead the people to a mistaken view of God. It should not have to be explained that to lead people to a false view of God is a grave sin. Hence, teachers had better be sure of their words when they speak of God.
The same concern extends to all doctrinal issues: eschatalogy, church government, baptism, worship, the purpose of the church, women in ministry, family roles and responsibilities, etc., etc.. God expects us to present Him as He really is. He expects our words to communicate truth.
God's words are of such importance, such indispensability, that without them man cannot live. When Satan tempted our Lord with food, Jesus replied that bread alone is not enough to sustain a man's life. Rather, true life is preserved by God's word. Indeed, He said every word from God's mouth. Thus, if we are to live, we must be sufficiently nourished by the words of God. Words are important.
Also of great significance is that one of the names given to the Son of God is "The Word" (John 1:1f; Rev. 19:13). Referring to Christ as "the Word of God" would draw the hearer's attention to the power of God, at creation for example. John begins his message by quoting the beginning of the Bible: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And how did God create? With commands; i.e. words of power. He spoke, and the waters were separated. He spoke, and plants sprouted all over the earth. He spoke, and the sun, moon, and stars took their places in the heavens. He spoke, and things began to crawl, fly, and swim. God's power was revealed through His spoken word.
Jesus is the ultimate Word of Power. He is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24). His power was also manifested through His words as He commanded demons to release their captives, and they obeyed; He commanded diseases to flee, and they did; He commanded a tempestuous squall to be quiet, and it did; He commanded a dead man to live, and he did.
God's words are formidible and invariably effective.
The Importance and Power of Words—Part 3
Category: Taming the Tongue
Photo by B Tal
Man's words are powerful and effective also. Obviously, we are not God and therefore we cannot simply issue a command and change a barrel of water into a barrel of fine wine, or turn a pile of newspapers into a stack of $1,000 bills. Nevertheless, the Scripture has much to say about the potent impact of the words which proceed from our mouths.
Our words have the capacity to do tremendous good.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Prov. 16:24)
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad. (Prov. 12:25) "Pleasant words" are not flattery whereby a person speaks falsely to another in order to produce an effect, rather they are good words which provide real help, encouragement, and understanding to another. If a speaker is preparing to give a lecture, and a friend or other member of the audience approaches him or her and says, "I am really looking forward to what you have to say tonight, your words are always a blessing to me," every molecule of that speaker's body suddenly feels like it has been immersed in ice cream. In fact, the lecture just became sweeter for everyone due to the beneficial impact those words will have on the presenter.
When a person is struggling with a relationship or a job search or a school choice or a even cookbook purchase, and someone is able to provide truly helpful information, the recipient of the advice feels like a burden has been lifted or a disease has been cured. The right word from another person is powerful and effective.
On the other hand, our words have the capacity to do tremendous evil.
In several places, the Bible compares the tongue to a sword which pierces its victims. We have all been on the receiving end of such maiming as someone's words have slashed and gashed us until we bled profusely. And, we have all been the slasher, leaving another person with throbbing laceractions. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!" is a bold face lie.
Or consider:
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin. (Prov. 26:28)
When we lie about others, we commit acts of hatred toward them, and our words pound them, grind them, and crumple them until they collapse under the weight. The same is true for pleasing words which are intended to deceive or trick our hearers. All untrue speech leads to someone's destruction.
The Importance and Power of Words—Part 4
Category: Taming the Tongue
Photo by B Tal
The potential effect of our words for good or for evil is often juxtaposed in Proverbs. For example,
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Prov. 15:1)
We have all been in situations where if we would have simply spoken a kind word of love and affection in the midst of hostility, the temperature in the room would have dropped instantaneously. Instead, the place blew up. Anyone who is married ought to memorize this verse. A soft display of concern by a husband toward an "animated" wife will usually calm the building storm almost as quickly as Christ ended the Galilean gale.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21)
This may be the most sobering statement of them all with respect to the power of our words. When we speak truthfully, lovingly, graciously, and wisely, we can have such a profitable influence on others that the Bible describes it as "the power of life." That's power! Conversely, our lies, hateful speech, condeming and critical lashings, and foolishness, can be so detrimental to others as to warrant the label, "the power of death." We do well to wield such power with great care.
However, this sword cuts both ways. Not only do others bear the marks of our words, we, too, live and die by our own words. To use the author's metaphor, our words are either from the tree of life or the tree of death, that is, eternal life or death. Jesus Himself said as much:
But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt. 12:36-37)