Words Kill

It is much easier to fit in with the world around us than it is to stand out and live differently as Jesus called us to do.  But as true disciples of Christ we know that our lives will be more blessed when we follow His instructions. The lifestyle that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount is the complete opposite of what is accepted and expected in the world we live in.

Jesus began His message by saying, “You have heard it said”….. and then added, “But I say.”  He made it very clear that His ways are not the world’s ways and His instructions for His followers will be radically different from world views, which will make us stand out as beacons of hope and light to others.

You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill. Matthew 5:21-22

That old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, ” is not true. Words hurt. They stay in our minds long after they ring through our ears and they carry the power of life and death.

When Jesus told His disciples to live differently He compared being angry to murder. Many times as He was sharing the message of hope, the angry pharisees in the crowd were plotting how they might kill Him. Imagine the difference it might have made if they would have tempered their anger and taken their thoughts captive. How different would your life be if you did the same?

Self-control helps us to reign in our thoughts before they become damaging, hurtfull words. Taking those same thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ will keep them from festering in our hearts. The bible warns us in James 3:9-10,  “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

You might not be able to stop a thought from coming into your mind, but you can stop it from staying there or dwelling on it until it comes out in words that cannot be taken back. Living differently means thinking and speaking words that give life.