“Our conversation’s changed from words to blah, blah, blah…”
Relient K, “Maintain Consciousness”
Relient K, “Maintain Consciousness”
I am one of the people who are positively allergic with silence – at least, when there are others with me. That is why I end up saying the dumbest things when I’m with a group, because I cannot tolerate the lapses to silence when we’ve run out of things to say. Actually, speaking without thinking is almost second nature to me – I usually end up blabbing the first things that come to my mind. A lot of times, the things that I blurt out are so stupid that they’re funny (heck, that’s why I’m a RegCom Hall of Famer in the first place. Things like, “That’s the question to my answer!” will not be easily forgotten). Other times, they can be pretty embarrassing, because when I said I don’t think before I speak, I really do not think before I speak. Really. Words pop out of my mouth even halfway before my brain processed the sheer dumbness of the statement that I said (“Ma’am, I feel for him,” in a Legal Profession class comes to mind). Funnily, with all my blabbing and everything, it took me quite a long time to come up with this entry, which I think is long overdue. It’s something I’ve already planned to write a few months back, but for some reason, I haven’t done it. And ironic too, since this is my first real entry in over a month – not something where I pretend to be poetic and dramatic and come up with verses and lines that contain only a few words that cannot sufficiently be called sentences by any stretch of the imagination (speaking of which, I wrote five new ones, and they’re found right below this entry, so if you want to endure more of my brainless ramblings, feel free to check these out).
Anyway, I’m digressing. A few months back, the Lord has been telling me to watch the things that come out of my mouth. It wasn’t just a one time-big time thing during Quiet Time that I got a verse. A lot of verses from different books in the Bible told me to be careful with my words – Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Wisdom all spoke the same thing to me (Oh yeah, another digression, but this one small. Whenever God wants to tell us something, He really makes sure we get it. Now, for instance, the Lord wants me to do something, and what He does is that He gives the exact same message – except that these come from different books of the Bible. You could always say it’s just coincidence, I guess, but the thing is, even if I use a different Bible than from the one I normally use, it’s still the same verses I’m getting. I guess I’m being too stubborn again, since the Lord has to tell me multiple times for it to sink in my head). The most direct verses come from Proverbs – it is the one book that has warnings liberally sprinkled all over it. It’s not just lies that we should avoid saying. Everything that comes out of our mouth should be said deliberately, that is, things that we truly have thought about instead of just pratting about without any care. We can’t make the excuse that we did not mean what we said. The thing is, we could have not said it, had we taken even just a few moments to think what the effects our words could make.
There’s one verse in the Bible that goes, “Your tongue is like a double-edged sword.” It can cut both ways. What does this mean? I’ve been doing some research a few months ago, and I found out that the entire body could be lifted to the Lord as our pleasing sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Well, almost the entire body. The third chapter of James speaks of an organ that is quite small, yet can produce a lot of harm (v. 5).
Anyway, I’m digressing. A few months back, the Lord has been telling me to watch the things that come out of my mouth. It wasn’t just a one time-big time thing during Quiet Time that I got a verse. A lot of verses from different books in the Bible told me to be careful with my words – Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Wisdom all spoke the same thing to me (Oh yeah, another digression, but this one small. Whenever God wants to tell us something, He really makes sure we get it. Now, for instance, the Lord wants me to do something, and what He does is that He gives the exact same message – except that these come from different books of the Bible. You could always say it’s just coincidence, I guess, but the thing is, even if I use a different Bible than from the one I normally use, it’s still the same verses I’m getting. I guess I’m being too stubborn again, since the Lord has to tell me multiple times for it to sink in my head). The most direct verses come from Proverbs – it is the one book that has warnings liberally sprinkled all over it. It’s not just lies that we should avoid saying. Everything that comes out of our mouth should be said deliberately, that is, things that we truly have thought about instead of just pratting about without any care. We can’t make the excuse that we did not mean what we said. The thing is, we could have not said it, had we taken even just a few moments to think what the effects our words could make.
There’s one verse in the Bible that goes, “Your tongue is like a double-edged sword.” It can cut both ways. What does this mean? I’ve been doing some research a few months ago, and I found out that the entire body could be lifted to the Lord as our pleasing sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Well, almost the entire body. The third chapter of James speaks of an organ that is quite small, yet can produce a lot of harm (v. 5).
Consider how a small fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehanna. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. (James 3:5-10)
Yikes. Quite scary, isn’t it? Proverbs 10:19 says, “Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but he who restrains his lips does well.” Our tongues are very fertile ground for the devil to plant and sow his evil works. Like I said a while ago, it’s not only in lying that we dishonor the Lord. We can sin against Him even unconsciously. We might say some things that, for us might not be bad, but in truth, we’re actually sinning already. An example of that would be when we talk about someone, worse if behind his/her back, worst if we insult him, no matter how good-natured the conversation might be. Another would be the words that we blurt out without thinking, usually the ones we say as a result of an overflowing of emotions. I have to admit, I’m guilty of that a lot of times, especially when my mood is not really on the sunny side. I end up snapping at people who did not do anything to me, and though I would immediately regret saying those things, the damage has already been done. I’ve already hurt someone, and though that person might forgive me for what I have said in that uncontrolled moment, “sorry” wouldn’t erase it. It’s truly sinning, when even if we do a ton of good deeds, it will not remove the sin that we have committed. It’s like spilling a glassful of water on a varnished table. Even if you wipe off the liquid and dry the surface, you will not be able to remove the mark left by the liquid.
Not many realize it, but words are an extremely powerful weapon to wield. It can ruin a perfectly fine relationship in less than five seconds by mere utterance. It can destroy a person’s reputation. It can cut quicker than a sword (Pr 12:18). It can cause so much damage in just a few moments. I remember the story of a mom who fully realized just how powerful words can be, and ironically, she discovered that when she lost her voice. She had a minor surgery that prevented her from speaking for six months, so what she did was that she had a notepad and pen always ready, writing on it and giving the sheet to the person she wants to communicate with. It was then that she realized that she could be quite harsh to her children when she was still able to talk, and sometimes, she caught herself writing a furious statement to hand it to one of her kids to scold him. Writing her thoughts made her more aware of what she is saying, and it made her think before actually “saying” something to the other person.
Another thing is that sometimes, we love the sound of our voices. So much so, that we end up blabbing away while the rest of humanity stares at us incredulously. Wait, let me correct that. While the rest of humanity blab themselves. Everyone’s so busy talking that they forget to listen. That’s why a lot of people end up not understanding each other, because they don’t make any effort to comprehend. It’s always a “me” thing. It’s this mindset: there’s no “I” in “team”, but there’s M-E. People are so engrossed with themselves that they forget that there are other people around them, or if they do remember, they think that other people are created to listen to them. Proverbs 18:7 says, “The fool’s mouth is his ruin; his lips are a snare to his life.” On the other hand, Pr 27:2 says, “Let another praise you – not your own mouth; someone else – not your own lips.” Also, Pr 23:15, “My inmost being will exult, when your lips speak what is right.” The Bible really is teaching us to watch our words, to speak what is right and what is good. It is not to honor ourselves, or disgrace others. It is to honor Him. Psalm 52, entitled “The Deceitful Tongue,” talks about those who wield their tongues for evil. Yet at the end, the psalmist declared, “I, like an olive tree in the house of God, trust in God’s faithful love forever. I will praise you always for what You have done. I will proclaim before the faithful that Your name is good.” From how I understood it, the reason why there was a sudden shift of the author’s tone from the condemning of those with viperous tongues to praising God is because as a Christian, he, as should the rest of us, should use our tongues to praise Him instead of to deceive others, and to proclaim to others that He is King. As an extension, we should also use our speech and conduct to bless others, being effective witnesses for Him and glorifying Him in the process.
Not many realize it, but words are an extremely powerful weapon to wield. It can ruin a perfectly fine relationship in less than five seconds by mere utterance. It can destroy a person’s reputation. It can cut quicker than a sword (Pr 12:18). It can cause so much damage in just a few moments. I remember the story of a mom who fully realized just how powerful words can be, and ironically, she discovered that when she lost her voice. She had a minor surgery that prevented her from speaking for six months, so what she did was that she had a notepad and pen always ready, writing on it and giving the sheet to the person she wants to communicate with. It was then that she realized that she could be quite harsh to her children when she was still able to talk, and sometimes, she caught herself writing a furious statement to hand it to one of her kids to scold him. Writing her thoughts made her more aware of what she is saying, and it made her think before actually “saying” something to the other person.
Another thing is that sometimes, we love the sound of our voices. So much so, that we end up blabbing away while the rest of humanity stares at us incredulously. Wait, let me correct that. While the rest of humanity blab themselves. Everyone’s so busy talking that they forget to listen. That’s why a lot of people end up not understanding each other, because they don’t make any effort to comprehend. It’s always a “me” thing. It’s this mindset: there’s no “I” in “team”, but there’s M-E. People are so engrossed with themselves that they forget that there are other people around them, or if they do remember, they think that other people are created to listen to them. Proverbs 18:7 says, “The fool’s mouth is his ruin; his lips are a snare to his life.” On the other hand, Pr 27:2 says, “Let another praise you – not your own mouth; someone else – not your own lips.” Also, Pr 23:15, “My inmost being will exult, when your lips speak what is right.” The Bible really is teaching us to watch our words, to speak what is right and what is good. It is not to honor ourselves, or disgrace others. It is to honor Him. Psalm 52, entitled “The Deceitful Tongue,” talks about those who wield their tongues for evil. Yet at the end, the psalmist declared, “I, like an olive tree in the house of God, trust in God’s faithful love forever. I will praise you always for what You have done. I will proclaim before the faithful that Your name is good.” From how I understood it, the reason why there was a sudden shift of the author’s tone from the condemning of those with viperous tongues to praising God is because as a Christian, he, as should the rest of us, should use our tongues to praise Him instead of to deceive others, and to proclaim to others that He is King. As an extension, we should also use our speech and conduct to bless others, being effective witnesses for Him and glorifying Him in the process.
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