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Answer
People invest a significant amount of time, effort, and resources in seeking ways to enhance health and well-being. One often overlooked method can be found in the Bible: “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health” «There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: But the tongue of the wise is health. », (Proverbs 12:18, NKJV).
Not only can words spoken have the power to promote health and healing, but Proverbs 18:21 states, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” In these proverbs and various other passages in Scripture, the term tongue symbolizes our spoken language. Most contemporary Bible translations present Proverbs 12:18 in a more straightforward manner: “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing” (NLT).
Proverbs 12:18 is phrased as an observation: “There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (CSB). Essentially, some individuals engage in careless and insensitive speech, inflicting a spiritual or emotional wound akin to a knife piercing through the listener. Conversely, wise individuals select words that promote healing in others. A concise interpretation of this Proverb could be: “Hasty words cause harm; wise words bring restoration.”
Thoughtlessly spoken words can be as harmful as deadly poison, while judiciously chosen words possess healing properties. Appropriate words function like effective medicine that can restore a person’s well-being: “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” «A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. », (Proverbs 15:4). To echo the metaphor in Proverbs 12:18, some individuals wield their sword-like words to harm, offend, or sow discord.
ruption, and injure reputations. Those are the words of the reckless. In contrast is the tongue of the wise, whose wholesome words bring common sense, discernment, comfort, soundness, and benefit to others. Even when bringing reproof, the tongue of the wise is healing.
Despite its being a small instrument, the tongue holds tremendous power to produce both good and evil. James describes the harm we can cause to ourselves and others with our spoken words: “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God” (James 3:5-9;NLT).
When James says, “No one can tame the tongue,” he’s not implying that there’s no hope for us and that Christians should give up trying to control their speech. On the contrary, James is teaching the need for divine help. No one has it within himself, without the grace of God, to master his tongue and keep it in line. Even when he thinks he has his tongue under control, a person will often allow an unwise or hurtful word to slip out. The tongue is truly unruly. Although difficult, taming the tongue is imperative: “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” «If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. », (James 1:26, NLT).
BeliBelievers in Jesus Christ are called to be wise; indeed, it is the tongue of the wise that promotes health. We should aim to speak life and healing rather than curses and death: “For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong” (James 3:2-4;NLT).
To possess the tongue of the wise that promotes health, believers must rely on power from God’s Holy Spirit. With God’s assistance, it is possible to achieve victory over the harm that thoughtless or malicious words can cause. While complete victory over sin is unattainable in this life, significant triumph is not only feasible but crucial (Romans 6;8:2-3;Hebrews 7:25;1 Peter 2:24;Titus 2:14).
Proverbs 10:11 states, “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life.” Wholesome, godly words flowing from our mouths have the power to stimulate mental, physical, and spiritual processes that can restore someone to a healthy, sound state. The tongue of the wise promotes health when God’s people speak life-giving, edifying, compassionate, beneficial, appropriate words.
If we are wise, we will seek the Lord’s help in controlling our tongues. We will let our speech always be gracious «Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. », (Colossians 4:6) and use our words to promote health, healing, and life. As Paul taught, we should “let no corrupting talk come out of [our] mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion.
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” «Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. », (Ephesians 4:29, ESV).
