The Power of Words is Sort of Like...
Poison in the School Cafeteria

Of all the words you'll say today, what percentage will be positive or encouraging? What percentage will be negative or critical?

I stood in the lunch line at school, feeling self-conscious and very alone. It was the first day of classes, and I didn't know anybody. I had just transferred to this school, and most of the people my age already had their friends and groups established.

During the class I had right before lunch, I had answered a couple of questions aloud and even managed to say something clever in the process. I had felt the approving smiles of a few strangers, and wondered if any of them would eventually become friends. I wished desperately for a friend right then, so I wouldn't have to stand there alone in the lunch line.

Then, ahead of me in the cafeteria line, I noticed a girl who had just been in class with me. If I wasn't mistaken, she was one of the ones who had smiled at me. Eventually she turned her head enough for our eyes to meet, and I could see she recognized me.

We introduced ourselves, and small-talked for a couple of minutes about my being new and about the class. I was a little surprised at how direct and unguarded she was, but felt grateful for the new acquaintance. I was just feeling like we might get to know each other better when she said, "You know, you'd be kind of cute if your nose wasn't so big."

She said it playfully, almost as if she just wanted to see my reaction. I'm sure I blushed and tried to cover my embarrassment with some quick quip. All I really remember was getting out of the conversation as fast as I could. We didn't eat lunch together.

"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be" (James 3:7-10).

That girl in the cafeteria line had an opportunity to do powerful good with a small dose of kind words. Instead she chose to do great damage with a different dose -- one that settled in my stomach like poison.

My impression is that she didn't think much about which kind of words she was serving up to the new guy behind her. I later found out she was a Christian, and I'm sure if she read this now she'd be embarrassed, and regret not having spoken differently. The Bible says that's exactly how the tongue works, and why it's so dangerous. It's not the carefully chosen words for God that go wild and cause such damage. It's the careless or flippant words we toss out to each other that curse and destroy. We can kid ourselves into thinking we've got our words under control. We can treat words like they're cute little leashed poodles that sometimes make a mess in the wrong spot but are basically tame and submissive. Instead the Bible says we're walking wild tigers, which by their very nature stalk people to tear them up. I can vouch for that. Just call me clawed.

Dishing out any poison?

What were the most hurtful things that were said to you this past week? Did the people saying them know how hurtful they were being? Have you ever noticed, perhaps too late, that something you said hurt someone deeply? Is it too late today to serve up to the person you hurt an antidote for the poison?

You might also take a look at . . . Psalm 39:1; Proverbs 21:23.

More Spiritual Life . . .