My dear readers,

Many Words, Many Sins!

Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

When Jesus Christ speaks, there is never a wrong word. He is perfect. The more He speaks, the more we are blessed. He is the exception to Proverbs 10:19.

In the case of all men, believers and unbelievers included, Proverbs 10:19 applies fittingly. Words are potent. They frame the mind and the heart. Bombardment of minds with many words will shape a man’s character and manner of life. That is why the devil has absolute control of the mass media. He determines what the world listens to. He controls the educational system through his minions. For example, children are being fed with the diabolical notion that God did not create this world out of nothing. He erased the presence of God in the minds of generations of men, women and children by means of the theory of evolution.

The message from God, night and day, is that He exists and He is a great and powerful God. The vastness of the universe coupled with the minute intricacies of His designs clearly points to a Great Designer! Psalm 19:1-6 declares loudly: “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

Yet man is deaf to God’s voice. The devil drowns out God's voice through the incessant loud voices of educators, scientists and through the mass media like television, radio and the internet. With evolution in the hearts and minds of the world, their words and lives are lived accordingly. Since man evolved through the animal kingdom according to this fallacious theory, why not behave like the animals? The lawless and chaotic societies of our time are evidence of the deadly influence of this evil theory. Families are destroyed. Society is becoming more and more like the days of the Judges when every man did what was right in his own eyes. The “might is right” mentality prevails. Through the many words of the devil over many generations, billions of people have been brain washed into living a delinquent and godless life style. Many words spawn many sins.

This is many times worse when professing believers speak careless words that are saturated with many sins. The deadly nature of their wordy sins is the distortion of Christ’s holy Name that they bear. Imagine a person speaking 100,000 words a day. If 10% of his words are hurtful words, he would be speaking 10,000 words that hurt others. If he speaks 10,000 words a day, the number of wrong words is reduced to 1,000. This simple mathematics is what Proverbs 10:19 teaches. We are not perfect. Therefore, our words are not perfect. These words include what we say and write every day. The percentage of errors in what we say, deliberately or otherwise, varies from individual to individual. The more mature the believer is, the more careful his words will be. The less mature, the less careful, hence more mistakes made. The more we speak, the more sins we commit. This is a dictum that is difficult to argue against. Until we arrive on the other side of the Great Divide, Proverbs 10:19 holds true and is a placard from God placed in front of our faces every time we speak or write!

In times of stress, we need to be extra careful before we speak or send a text or an email. Our thinking is usually muddled by the urgency of the stressful situation. The pressure of the moment will usually result in a heightened increase of wrongful words. For example, we are rushing to a meeting and want to be on time, and the heavy traffic adds to a very stressful situation that will result in many unnecessary comments about the “bad” or inconsiderate drivers in front of us. Family members who are not as time conscious or sensitive to punctuality, especially young children, may also pose a stressful scenario where careless words are uttered that we will deeply regret later.

When we are angry, we lose control of our words. We speak harshly out of anger and lash out at the person in front of us in a rage. At that moment, we do not seem to care if it damages the Name of Christ because we just want to lash out and hurt. We may send emails that are laced with emotive adjectives with every intention of hurting or insulting the recipient. Wars have been started because of careless words. Lives have been ruined because of hurtful words. Marriages have been destroyed because of raging fiery words.

Those who serve in ministries that involve preaching and teaching must be extra careful. They probably will speak more words than others. The preparation of lessons to teach and preach must be very diligently and accurately done. The souls of the hearers in relation to the truthfulness of Christ are at stake. The younger the children, the more careful the teacher ought to be. Thus, the stern warning from Christ regarding stumbling children is in Matthew 18:2-6: “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

The solution is simple and clear. “Refrain”, i.e. hold back, our lips. This is the only way. They are our lips. No one can open them except us. God says the wise will hold back his lips. He does not need to have the last word in every argument or discussion. The humility of Christ constrains him. His love for the brethren and the Name of his Saviour rein him in. Silently he walks away with peace in his heart. He does not write any email in anger and does not send it straightaway. He will re-read what he has written the next morning or after he has calmed down before sending, especially when it is needful for him to reply. In stressful situations, he will pray and trust in the LORD to take absolute control. He calms down and patiently reflects upon how to improve the situation and does not allow it to become stressful. If he wants to prevent lateness, he will prepare himself to leave earlier. He is conscious of the people around him and the need to bear a holy witness for Christ.

We all will either hinder or help the faith of others. The next few words that we say will determine that. Do not use the silent treatment as a weapon to lash out at the person who has hurt us. Instead, calm down and pray to the Lord for opportunities to clear the air and resolve any misunderstanding; or just let it go by forgiving and forgetting just as the Lord has forgiven us.

Conclusion – We do not need to have the last word all the time. The wise knows when to speak and when to keep silent. The more we speak the more sin we tend to commit. Another perspective from God on careful speech is taught in Proverbs 17:27-28: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”