Powerful words
Insults. There are some funny ones out there. In one of the most famous, a very angry Lady Astor said to Sir Winston Churchill: "If you were my husband, I'd put poison in your tea."
Churchill didn't blink. He just said: "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."
Groucho Marx once told his host, "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
My friend likes to say, "The last thing I wanna' do is hurt you; but it's still on the list."
Few things can harm others more deeply than the tongue. I've seen this happen with humor. It can be a blessing. But it can be a blasting too. The tongue can devastate. James 1:26 teaches, "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless."
Years ago, I was speaking at a golf tournament, and I took my son along. He was 12 at the time, blessed with an infectious laugh, but he couldn't stand golf. I said, "Jeff, come anyway. We'll eat stuff. You can drive the cart and laugh at my shots."
He seemed fine with that, and we ended up playing alongside Jim and Neil, two of the kindest guys I've ever met. When they found out Jeff wasn't going to play, they were disappointed.
"Golf with us," pleaded Jim, bowing on one knee and reaching out a hand, "we need you."
Jim promised the kid a pop and hamburger if he played. How can a 12-year-old refuse? Soon Jeff found himself on the first tee, surprising himself with a straight shot.
"Wow!" said Jim. "You swing like Jack Nicklaus!"
Jeff didn't know Jack from a hole in the fence, but who cared. When he duffed one, they'd say, "That's okay. Here, hit one of mine." And when the ball skimmed the grass, causing squirrels to scatter, they'd pat him on the back and say, "You're something, Jack!"
My son Jeff loves golf today-which has cost me a lot of money. But he loves the game all because two middle-aged guys were his biggest fans for 18 holes.
The tongue can pack a wallop, can't it? A well-placed word can boost confidence, give purpose, bring laughter, and renew hope. It can uplift, nourish, and mend. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." But our words can devastate a child, a spouse, or a friend. Proverbs 12:18 says that "reckless words pierce like a sword."
If you're old like me, you may remember the singer Karen Carpenter, part of the duo The Carpenters. Karen died unexpectedly of heart failure at age 32 after a long struggle with anorexia nervosa. USA Today reported that Karen's fatal obsession with weight control began when she read a reviewer's simple comment. He dubbed her, "Richard's chubby sister."
Every conversation is an opportunity. A chance to encourage or discourage, celebrate victories or rehash failures, draw people to Jesus or push them away. Neil and Jim may never know the impact they had on my son by being positive and uplifting. Like those two guys we can foster love and growth in those we talk to and live with.
One of the fastest ways to find joy is to bring joy to other people's lives. So let's season our words with grace today. Let's keep our tongue from evil, and our words like shampoo-concentrated and rich.
Phil Callaway speaks, writes books, and has a radio show called Laugh Again. Visit him at philcallaway.com
