Do you remember the playground chant “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? What a pack of lies! Words do hurt and they can cut deeper than any knife. I’m sure all of us, male and female alike, have tried to hold it together when someone said something hurtful to us, only to sneak away and shed a few tears in private. Words hold such power and we misuse them all the time.
“God said” appears twelve times before the creation of the entire world is complete [Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,22,24,26,28,29, and Genesis 2:18]. He spoke the heavens and the earth into existence along with every other living thing. Now those are powerful words.
Proverbs 18:21 tells us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We need to be aware of the power we hold in our spoken words and use it carefully. Romans 14:19 says “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Our words should be used to build up one another, not tear one another down.
Psalm 141:3 says “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” The Psalmist knew it was impossible to control his tongue without the help of the Lord and we would do well to recognize it also. With God’s help, this is possible [Matthew 19:26].
My mother used to say there wasn’t a stop sign between my mind and my mouth. If I thought it, it would come rushing out. Fortunately, I wasn’t one to think poorly of others often, but I am guilty of releasing a few bombs over the years. When I began to evaluate my words, I realized I needed help sifting through what passed through my mind to determine what was released from my mouth. I have prayed for the Lord to use Holy Duct Tape more times than not since then, and the beautiful thing is the Lord never runs out of Holy Duct Tape. I saw a sign at a craft show that read “Lord, put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.” I need Him, because apart from Him, I’m a train wreck with my words.
Have you employed the use of Holy Duct Tape in your life? If not, I highly recommend it. The Lord is for us and He wants us to be a blessing to those around us. With His help, we can speak life and blessing into those we encounter instead of destruction and death. He has his Duct tape ready and waiting. He’s just waiting for you to give Him permission to use it.