A few thoughts on the differences between gardeners and axe-wielders
I read a weekly newsletter from an Australian theologian named Michael Bird. This week, he quoted an old Afghan proverb that I can't shake:
"The axe never remembers the tree, but the tree always remembers the axe."
Today, we're going to talk about the power our words have to either help or hurt other people.
Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about this. Here are a few examples:
1. Proverbs 11:9 Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly.
2. Proverbs 15:4 Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
3. Proverbs 16:24 Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
4. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue...
5. Proverbs 18:4 A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.
6. Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly like he thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
7. Proverbs 25:18 Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.
8. Luke 6:43-45 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Remember that what you say to others can be forgiven, but the nature of how our brains store negative experiences means that those words will never be forgotten. So be careful where you swing that axe!
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Music by Toby Mac