Words: Wisdom or Warfare

Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly. (Proverbs 11:9, NLT)

I’ve always loved words. When I read the book The Five Love Languages a number of years ago, I landed on words of affirmation and physical touch as the top two ways I receive love.

I feel like those two often jostle back and forth for the number one position, but recently I’ve found that words of affirmation are what tend to do my heart the most good. But, as we all likely know from experience, they can do a great deal of damage to the heart as well.

Through personal experience over the last several years, I have come to understand the impact of words on a deeper level in my life. My heart has been wounded because of words others have said to me, and, unfortunately, I recognize the same is true for someone else because of my words. In fact, I am certain that every person reading this can recall specific instances where words have either helped or hurt their heart. I believe that’s why it should come as no surprise that the Bible is jam-packed full of instructions regarding how we utilize words in our lives, and Proverbs in a perfect place to start.

If we open our Bible and flip through some of the pages, it becomes immediately evident just how much power, both positive and negative, our words carry.

Proverbs 11:9 Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.

Proverbs 11:17 Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.

Proverbs 15:4 Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 18:4 A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.

This is just a sampling of the reminders found in this book of the Bible. But what God intends for wisdom, the enemy will attempt to use as warfare. As I’ve journeyed with Jesus, and dug more deeply into His word, my heart and soul have been molded and nourished in ways I hadn’t experienced before.

Exposure to His truth awakened my soul and caused me to step back and analyze the way I’ve been living my life. What words am I using? How are my habits shaping who I am? How do my interactions with others reveal my character? Do my words and actions reflect Christ? When I use the Bible as my guide for discernment, especially when it comes to my words, I am challenged to remember the truth contained in Proverbs 11:9, “Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.”

This post was inspired when I woke one morning recently with a lot of words on my heart. Circling in my brain were words and questions surrounding a friendship that was once very important in my life, but has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. When I find my head and heart filled with all these words, I have to cautiously take inventory of the source, examine the condition of my heart, and lean into the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Because words are such a big deal for me, I often allow them to escape from my lips before I really discern whether or not sharing them is what the Lord is leading me to do. Often, I can close my eyes and words begin to flow, from my heart into my head, and they scroll across my brain like words on a screen. When this happens, I know it’s time to grab a pen and start scribbling, or, like I do when I write a devotional, flip open my laptop and begin to type.

Maybe the words are a letter I want to write to a friend; often it’s the title or content of a blog post; or it might even be a prayer He is asking me to pray. Regardless, one thing I’ve learned over the last several years is just how important timing is for my words. When I respond immediately, I am better able to capture what the Lord is laying on my heart in that moment. But, to take things one step further, by capturing the words, I have been able to work through the important step of discernment as to whether or not those words are meant to be shared.

This is why I love Proverbs 11:9. It challenges me to remember that discernment is a tool I have access to through the Holy Spirit that helps me protect myself and others by carefully measuring the necessity of my words. I think that’s one of the reasons writing has become such an important spiritual practice in my life.

When I write, it’s an experience of opening my mind and heart to what the Lord may be asking me to express through the written word. I’m always amazed and in awe of the final product, not because I am prideful regarding what I have written, but because I am absolutely confident that the words you find written on these pages will always be a direct result of the Lord speaking to my heart.

Words and the way the Lord uses them in my life is what inspired this website. Though taking the initial leap of faith wasn’t easy, I have seen with each subsequent step how the Lord has asked me to pause, listen, and do my best to respond in obedience. I have been immensely blessed by His generosity as He continues to use words to challenge me and draw me out, all while helping me process and pray through life experiences that I firmly believe are intended to help me grow in Christlikeness.

Though I write because it’s what I feel the Lord has called me to do, I am so very grateful for the platform the Lord has given me. Because these words land in a place where they are shared with others, I am intentional to discern what I am sharing. I want the words that end up on these pages to reflect my experiences as I journey with Jesus. They sometimes require me to drudge up difficult emotions, and face fears that are staring me in the face. But, they also allow me to share my story of the joy found in walking with Christ every day.

My prayer is that we will pause today, and every day, and ask ourselves this question: Am I allowing my words to be used for bringing wisdom or warfare? When we lean into the Lord, He will provide discernment that rescues the Godly.