“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, has lectured throughout this country on the powerful, often negative impact of words. He often asks audiences, “How many of you can go the next 24 hours without saying something unkind about another person?”

A small number of listeners raise their hands, signifying “Yes”. Others laugh, and quite a few call out, “No way!”

Telushkin then explains this: “Those who can’t answer ‘yes’ must recognize that you have a serious problem. If you can’t go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you’re addicted to alcohol. If you can’t go 24 hours without smoking, you’re addicted to nicotine. So, if you can’t go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you’ve lost control over your tongue.”

God takes such loss of control very seriously. He says our tongues are to be used to BUILD UP not DESTROY. Words that are unkind, characterizations that are false, sharing confidences, even truth spoken without gentleness, respect or love are examples of tongues that are destructive. God speaks against such damaging talk in the eighth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16).

Instead, we are encouraged to build up others by speaking well of them, noticing their strengths and positive traits, by guarding and assuming the best of them. We build them up when we work to protect their reputations and pursue grace and forgiveness to restore their reputation and standing following failures.

May the next 24 hours be the first of many more in which Jesus’ grace, mercy, and encouragement to us poor miserable sinners transform us to be a people who build up not destroy others.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, would You help us to guard our tongues in the way that we use our words? Would You give us those words that are refreshing, those words that build people up, and help us to refuse to participate in language and conversation that would tear down another person’s reputation. But instead, give us those words of life? Those are the words that come from You, Jesus, and it’s in Your name we ask for these things. Amen.