The Tongue Is A Destructive Weapon

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19)

When my son was a teenager, he confided in me that he had become the victim of some pretty hurtful name-calling.

“Mark, you need to remember that people often resort to insults in order to distract attention from their own faults,” I told him. “It’s an ego defense, and you’re going to see it the rest of your life.”

While that was true, it wasn’t much help at the time for a teenager with thin skin. Eventually our conversation deteriorated to questions about what the school would do if he just clobbered one of them. We both agreed, he less enthusiastically than I, that kindness was the ultimate weapon that would help him survive the humiliation he was feeling.

Washington Irving once said, “A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.” He was right. In fact, the Bible emphasizes that while the tongue’s ability to encourage will improve the more we try to use it for encouragement, its ability to destroy also grows with use. “It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6)

The greatest threat to our community is not crime or gang violence. It’s the destructive force behind the words that come our way. The old saying we’ve heard all our lives – “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”- couldn’t be any more wrong. Words can kill!

That’s what bothers me about Talk Radio. Shock jocks like Don Imus and Howard Stern can say just about anything about anyone even if it’s a little below the belt. Sadly, the uglier it is, the more their audiences seem to love it. It just goes to show you, what’s always popular is not always right.

We wonder where our children get the impression that it’s okay to talk about someone behind their back. We really shouldn’t be surprised. They often hear us do it, and now they hear it on radio and television, too. Do as I say, not as I do. Right?

But enough about what I think; what does God think?

Actually, God’s position on the matter is pretty clear. In fact, he repeats it over and over and over again. Proverbs 11:12, however, is where I think he hits the nail on the head. “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”

I know that many of you use my columns for an occasional Sunday School lesson and I encourage you to discuss this one because what we’re hearing on the radio or television today represents a lot more than just a couple of isolated examples of how to have fun at someone else’s expense. The very same thing is going on in our community, too. Just go to your favorite restaurant for breakfast and listen to what their diners are saying. You’ll soon understand why the Bible says, “No man can tame the tongue”. (James 3:8)