Words.

Words we speak reveal our heart- the passion, the love, the truth within us. Yet, how often do we regret the things we say even as we boast it is hurtful, hateful TRUTH we speak. Like somehow the horrors we induce with our mouths are justified by the truth of the words spoken. Can we justify our using truth to hurt someone intentionally? The more we spread around the bitterness of what is true causing heart hurt, the more we cling to it being truth just so we have the right to speak, to justify ourselves.

Our tongues truly are evil members of our bodies, and they are connected to the brain that obviously controls them and that brain allows the tongue to speak not only truth but lies as well. So often we use our communication to HURT others. We write words now more than ever through texting and instant messaging and such and those word may not be spoken but in truth they are being heard as being spoken. When I write something it is as if I've spoken. No sound has come from my mouth, my tongue was NOT engaged in any speaking activity yet I have spoken in my written word.

How awesome would it be if we never spoke to hurt anyone- with truth or lies. How incredible it would be if we never wrote a single thing to induce emotional, mental pain upon another.

We offend in word so much, perhaps vows of silence aren't such a bad thing as long as they include the written unheard word as well.

Go a whole day without speaking, without communication- most people can't for many, many reason and most of those are legitimate reasons beyond a mere inconvenience. You really can't have children and not communicate with them in some form, right? Oh, you could, but you shouldn't- children wouldn't comprehend, young children wouldn't understand what was going on if you stopped communicating with them.  But just think about not communicating with others that we interact with on a daily basis, can we hurt with our silence?  It's possible.

Speaking before we think is commonplace. Measuring the words we say is rare. We are wounded by words and we want to wound in return.  Such awful wars are fought strictly with words. I believe more words are responsible for fighting than actual physical assault. So many battles are fought with our words, sometimes we wage daily skirmishes with our mouths, with our fingers typing, tapping out vicious barbs that cut each other to pieces. If we could but bear witness to the injuries our words cause what exactly would we see. Bloody shredded flesh stripped from bones by such awful words. We cause the wounds and we receive wounds in the battle of our words. When was the last time you received a severe verbal slashing? How many people walk around bloodied on a daily basis, their wounds never given a chance to fully heal because they live under such abusive conditions? How many of us sport deep, gaping, organ exposing wounds from a single sentence meant to gut us? The power of words are invisible but often the fallout from them is not. You see the pained expressions, you witness the tear stained cheeks, and you know words caused that grief. We know about bullying with words and how it even leads to real death because some would rather no longer exist than continue on with the constantly torture words have inflicted upon them.

Words we read never meant to torture us can do so as well, and in turn sometimes as we are tortured by words we like to return the favor and use words to torture others.

I don't know a single person who isn't guilty of word wounding, even the so-called unintended word wounding where you speak something someone isn't supposed to hear but they do anyway. Just because you didn't mean for someone to hear your cutting words, doesn't make them any less destructive.

May God help us as we comprehend the power of our words spoken and written. Please, Lord, keep the door to our lips and keep us from using the written word to hurt others in any way. May we be YOURS, wholly Yours! Thank you for Your mercy, Your grace, Your amazing Love! All in You!

Jas 3:1  My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 

Jas 3:2  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 

Jas 3:3  Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 

Jas 3:4  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 

Jas 3:5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 

Jas 3:6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 

Jas 3:7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 

Jas 3:8  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

Jas 3:9  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 

Jas 3:10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 

Jas 3:11  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 

Jas 3:12  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 

1Pe_3:10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile

Psa 34:12  What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 

Psa 34:13  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 

Psa 34:14  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 

Psa 34:15  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 

Psa 34:16  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 

Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

1Pe 2:1  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth

Joh 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.