Power of the Tongue*

Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall love it shall eat the fruit thereof." As I thought more on this subject, our words can really hurt or bless others. My last blog I briefly mentioned this scripture because as I was talking about keepers, sometimes I have caught myself trying to say something nice about one person and the way I said it totally put down someone else. As I went thru four divorces, there was some hurt that I felt at those times. My response to some things could have been very negative. I feel I have healed from my prior relationships and don't feel as antagonistic as I did at one time. I remember one time thinking about sending a card to a guy to thank him for taking out the garbage(my ex). I used my better judgment and did not do that. Can you imagine the hurt that could have been felt by the individual I was referring to? I got thru the hurt and was even able to see where I did some things wrong. I had to change myself. But O the words I could have used as I was going thru those hurts. I wish I could go back knowing what I know today, I think I could have done better. Part of my thinking today stems from a message I listen to called "Limiting Beliefs". It happens in relationships, we use careless words and hurt our spouse. We can bless people and encourage them. We can find the good instead of the negative. Parents use a thoughtless word and hurt their children for years. I don't remember my Dad saying anything good about me as I was growing up. It seemed it was always negative. I remember as a small boy late at night as we were driving somewheres, Mom said something like I was a good boy most of the time. That was like water to a man walking thru a desert. Just a simple kind word meant so much. I read one time that it takes 20 positive statements to make up for one negative statement. Negatives are powerful and we seem to remember them. I want the power of my tongue to be for the betterment of mankind. Think of the negatives we hear in any election campaign, character assassination is commonplace. Yet the Bible tells us to slander no man.  Things can be said that are not true to win the seat in the house. Recently in the newspaper, there was an apology written from a political action committee. It was the result of a lawsuit brought by a lawyer who was slandered during the campaign. The political action committee used half-truths, partial truths, outright lies to win a few seats in the house. Slandering the opposing party candidates in key races. They won the seats they wanted. But this lawyer did not let it go, he took them to court for slander and won. He did not want money, he wanted a public apology and got it in the newspaper. I remember a few years ago when forged national Guard papers were used to discredit George Bush.  A lady I worked with who was against George Bush thought that is was OK for the news media to use those papers because they were trying to stop George Bush from winning. We are in a sad state when it is OK to use falsehoods so our side can win.  OK,  enough political stuff, this was not meant to be a political blog. It was meant to be about the power of our tongue and how we use it for good to bless people or for bad to get our way at any cost and hurt people in the process. Let's use the power of our tongue for good.  Truth matters, it's not ok to slander, to tell half-truths, to outright lie to win. I never forgot this incident, years ago I hid a Boeing phone that was in my work area to keep others from using it. It had an outside line so everyone would come to my area to use that phone to call outside the company during work hours. Someone complained because the phone was missing. The lead probably guessed what happened and he came to me and asked if I knew anything about the disappearance of that phone. I beat around the bush because I didn't want to admit that I hid the phone.  Finally, he says Leon, just give me a yes or no answer, do you know where the phone is, that all I want to know. I know if you just give me just a yes or no answer you will not lie to me.   Another time I messed up some drawings pretty bad when I was a new engineer, it was causing a lot of work for the ME's, A meeting was called to get to the bottom of what happened.  About 10 minutes into the meeting I spoke up and said I did it. What do we need to do to fix it? In about another 5 minutes the meeting was over.  My supervisor was so relieved, I took the burden off him to protect me by just admitting I made the mistake and let's get on with the fix.  Let's use the power of our tongue for truth and good, not just to win our cause. God bless, LVZ.