Words can create and build. We read of God using His word to create the universe. John in his gospel says Jesus is the Word and the Word is God with the power to give life. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” But sinful man is inclined to use his words to hurt and destroy instead of build up. Thus, Paul instructs the believers in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” 

Use Your Words Properly

Man can use his words constructively or destructively. Proverbs 12:18 says, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” But used properly, words have the power to comfort and build up their hearers. Proverbs 15:4 says, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

As believers, we must use our words to please God. In Psalm 19:14, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord.” Thus, we must take care to guard what we say. Psalm 141:3 teaches us, “Set a guard over my mouth”, and Psalm 34:13 tells us, “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” 

If we are not careful, our words will be destructive instead of constructive. Proverbs 13:3 says, “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” Talking less can help. Proverbs 10:19 says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” Restraining our words will also help. Proverbs 17:27 says, “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint.” Speaking carefully will protect us. Proverbs 21:23, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” 

Guarding our words prevents us from speaking too much and too fast. Proverbs 29:20 teaches us, “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.” A godly person will think before he speaks, as Proverbs 10:31 says, “From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom.” We need wisdom to speak, especially to speak at the right time. Proverbs 25:11, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.” When spoken at the right time, our words will benefit our hearers. Proverbs 25:25, “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” What we say can save or destroy us, like Matthew 12:37 says, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

If we are not careful with our words, we will incur God’s judgment as He will call us to account for what we say. Matthew 12:36 says, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment.” Words reflect the condition of our heart. Matthew 15:11 tells us, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Matthew 15:18 also says, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” Words also reflect our faith in God. Mark 11:23, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” 

Therefore, as believers, we must use our words properly as it is the right thing to do. James 3:10 says, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” 

Use Your Words Honestly

We must also use our words honestly because honesty is the basis of all healthy relationships. Proverbs 12:17 says, “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.” Honesty is crucial for trust to exist in any relationship and to maintain the relationship. Honesty allows people to rely on what we say as true and not guess whether they can trust us. Job 33:3, “My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.” To be honest is speech also gives respect and value to the dignity of the other person.

Honesty must begin with recognizing our desire to lie instead of speak the truth. Sinners have the propensity to lie and be dishonest. We like to pretend to like someone or something when we don’t. Dishonesty enables bad behaviour to cause problems to fester and grow and damage the person and the relationship. Thus, Paul says in Ephesians 4:15, “Instead, speaking the truth in love.” In the same chapter, in verse 25, he also says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” As Zechariah said in Zechariah 8:16, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts.”

Honesty is the characteristic of the godly. The psalmist said in Psalm 15:2, “The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.” Therefore, we must speak the truth and stop all forms of lying. Proverbs 8:7 said, “My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.” Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2, “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception . . . On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” 

If we want people to think of us like what they thought about John the Baptist, as John 10:41 said, “all that John said about this man (Jesus) was true,” we must be honest in our speech. But speaking truth has a downside to it too. It can turn our friends into our foes. This happens to Paul in Galatians 4:16, when he asked them, “Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Yet it must not deter us from speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). 

Therefore, as believers, we must use our words properly and truthfully since we are the children of the holy God who does not lie or sin.