Verbal Aggressions

“It’s better to be a master of your silence than a slave of your words.” It’s an old saying, but it’s never been truer. As the apostle James wrote, “the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” (James 3:5, NIV).

If you’ve faced bullying, lived with haters, or defended yourself from stalkers, you know how much a simple word can tear dreams apart. Words can kill as surely as do bullets. In the lightning world of social media, ill-formed words can shred souls.

James wrote, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (James 3:9-10, NIV) Let your words build up others, building God’s kingdom on Earth, as opposed to tearing it down.

As destructive as words can be, they can also be uplifting. Jesus always used them to establish the Kingdom of Grace. By saying, “Come forth!” (John 11:43), He pulled Lazarus out of the grave. By shouting, “Peace! Be still!” He calmed the storm (Mark 4:39). He freed a woman with the words, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). In the ultimate cry, He stunned the Universe, saying, “It is done!” (John 19:30), paying with love the price of sin.

The best way to tame your tongue is to love with words, bless with praises, and ask God to speak through you. As James wrote, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18, NIV).