There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing. —Proverbs 12:18
In the ancient world, swords were the most common weapons of war. The Bible tells us that during war the Hebrews would make swords from their plowshares (Joel 3:10). When peace returned, they hammered the swords back into plows (Isa. 2:4; Mic. 4:3). The edge that killed the enemy in times of war was the same edge that in times of peace provided the Hebrew community with food.
Like the edge of a sword and a plow, our tongues can operate in one of two ways. We can declare war and use the edge to pierce, wound, and kill, or we can use our tongues as an instrument of peace, tilling the soil of our relationships to make them rich and fruitful.
If you choose to use your tongue as a sword, your relationships will experience perpetual calamity. But if you choose to put your sword into its sheath, pound it into a plow, and begin to till the soil of your relationships, you will reap rich rewards (Prov. 12:14).
Make it Personal
Are there times when you use your mouth as a sword? How can you instead use your tongue in a positive way?