Taking It to Work:
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” That may be a popular saying, but just because something is popular, or even accepted by most, it does not make it truth, and biblically, and experientially, that saying is far from true. In fact, I would risk to say that most of us have very few scars from sticks or stones, but almost all of us have hurts from words spoken against us.
Even sadder than this, is that those words for the most part were false in and of themselves, but still cut us deeply. On the other side of the coin, the positive words that have been spoken about us, the high esteem others have placed on us over the years, some of those words still feed our soul to this day.
I remember one day as a young man, speaking to a small group of participants at a marriage ministry conference. After I spoke, a man shook my hand, then turned my hand palm up, and he scratched with his index finger back and forth in my palm. As my eyes raised up to meet his, he said with sincerity and a little bit of intensity, “Son, you are just scratching the surface of what God wants to do through you.” I don’t remember much of the conference, or even what my talk was about, but I remember his words, and they still encourage me some thirty years later.
Solomon said that the tongue holds the power of life and death. When we are amongst co-workers, we can easily forget that gossip is a very damaging behavior that hurts the reputation of others, sometimes deeply and permanently hurting them personally, if it gets back to them. The workplace can be prime territory for back-biting and condescending talk. It can be entertaining and can infect the whole work culture, but we as Christians, must fight the temptation. Instead, if you find yourself in a “teardown” conversation, take the opportunity to speak something positive about the person; it will usually shut down the gossip pretty quickly.
Encouraging words are so powerful. Recommit to use your tongue to bring life, to uplift, to edify and to elevate, as His Word works lifelong blessings through you, today.
2 Tim 2:16 (ESV) – But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.
Prv 18:21a (ESV) – Death and life are in the power of the tongue…
James 3:5 (ESV) – So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
Listening to the Holy Spirit (Rhema):
The tongue is a weapon, and the ears give it power. Remove the talk of the unclean from your mind. Words against another is as an undeserved burn, slow to heal and scarring to the soul. Loose words damage and are not forgotten. Indulge not in this fare of the ungodly. Those who relish the events of the unfortunate, and jeer at the mistakes of the unlearned, harmful are their comments, pressing down even those they call brother. Ungodly do they become. Repent of the hearing, and repeat not the talk of the busybody. Holy mouths are for edification, and holy ears for receipt of what is honorable. Do not engage with those who tear down those I desire built. Defend the weak as I have defended you.
