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“The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them” (Proverbs 12:6, NIV).
As a writer, I love words. I find joy in stringing sentences together and finding just the right adjective to express how I feel. But even if you don’t like writing, I have an inkling that words have an impact on your life. How do I know? Because most people underestimate their power until they have deeply wounded themselves.
While words of the Godly can bring life, words of the wicked sound like gossip, manipulation, or harsh criticism. This language happens online, in person, or even through passive-aggressive comments. We see this contrast clearly in Proverbs 12:6: Some words destroy, while others deliver. But it’s up to us which words we will use and pass on.
It might sound a bit dramatic, but the words of the wicked often come from those who “lie in wait.” This suggests an ambush and intentional harm. Wicked words are strategic and not accidental. Again, this looks like gossip, slander, manipulation, twisting the truth, or even verbal abuse. Words also attack our confidence, reputation, peace, and faith. Proverbs 18:21 says it this way: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (KJ21). James 3 adds that our tongues have destructive potential. Though they are small, they are mighty.
James 3:5-6: “Likewise, 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. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (NIV).
Not all wounds in this life are physical. However, some of the deepest scars come from words spoken carelessly or cruelly. Are you speaking ones that encourage life or tear it down?