THE WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Over the years mankind has come up with thousands of ways to harm one another. It started with simple weapons such as sticks and stones then went to swords and arrows, to now when we have bullets and bombs. But the greatest weapon man has ever possessed is words. Words alone are invisible and harmless, but when coming from the human mouth, pushed out by emotion, they cause far more destruction than any nuclear bomb.

     

Everybody has something to say about everything these days. A new restaurant opens so people go there and test out the menu, and immediately feel qualified to share their opinion. We live in a world where political correctness is demanded of us so we do not offend our neighbors. But when it comes to our personal problems, we want to blab about the issue with everyone except the individual(s) involved.

     

Marriages are destroyed because couples refuse to speak about their issues with one another. The wife will go to her circle of girlfriends, telling them about all her husband’s shortfalls. Once she is at home, instead of telling her husband how she feels, the wife runs the husband down with name-calling or worse yet gives him the cold shoulder. Flip the scenario around, the husband does not tell anyone how he really feels, he just goes to where his wife is not and complains about how being married to that woman is so terrible. Before he knows it, the husband has talked about it with the wrong person, a wrong person who turns out to be another woman that destroys a marriage.

     

In the church world, words have the same destructive capabilities. A minor change is made in the way the church does something, the pastor says something without thinking, or a situation arises where people start talking. As words fly freely and the truth is twisted into shreds of itself, the web of Satan’s lies destroys the bride of Christ. Her spotless and wrinkle free dress gets stained with the dirt of sin, and the same bride that once brought her husband pride now causes Him to weep over her shame.

    

The only way to curve the detrimental effects of words is by learning to control our tongues. By keeping our harmful contentions to ourselves or the people involved our churches can flourish by demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ through the respect shown for His bride. When husbands and wives start communicating their issues with one another, our homes will become a more enjoyable place.

     

The best way to change the world is not by ending world hunger or educating the poor. It is much easier than that, and it starts in a place we each can individually control. The place to start is with our own mouths.

James 1:26: If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (ESV)