Words matter. The power of the tongue is often underestimated, though modern culture — not to mention human history — is littered with examples that show just how much havoc careless words can wreak. The old “sticks and stones will break by bones, but words will never hurt me” adage is nice in theory, but the reality is that many people face deep wounds due to the hurtful proclamations that come from those around them, including friends and loved ones.
Furthermore, negative, nasty and unrestrained language does serious damage to the person uttering it as well. Mistakes and errors can happen amid anger, but the Bible makes it pretty clear how we should manage and contain our rhetoric. In fact, the scriptures are filled with scores of verses that should make us all pause and think a little deeper about what we’re spewing: Here are some of those scriptures, presented via the New International Version of the Bible: CONTINUE
