Where this fits in the series

Pastor Devon Ortiz continued a weeks-long series on the tongue with Proverbs 12:18: "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." The root of the series is Luke 6:45, that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so the way we speak reveals the heart. He said God is not looking for morality, since anyone can be moral, but for righteousness, which takes the Holy Spirit.

He recapped practical training from earlier weeks. Leave a gap between the impulse to speak and the words themselves. Examine what you let into your eyes and ears; he stopped watching news and sports because they left him angry and unwilling to play with his kids. Practice silence, because not everything needs a response. Use a filter: is it true, kind, honest, of good report? He also reviewed what to avoid: gossip, bitter talk (he quoted that bitterness destroys its own container), and covetous talk that comes from discontent.

Words can wound

Proverbs 12:18 begins with a reality: words pierce. Pastor Ortiz noted that a sword in combat was meant to pierce, because the deeper the blade goes, the more damage is done under the skin. Words work the same way, and "sticks and stones" is a lie we tell ourselves. It is not only harsh words that hurt. The unthought, unfiltered reflex does too. In contrast, Proverbs 16:24 says pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones.

Healing speech is not accidental, he said. It takes wisdom, and wisdom comes from God (Proverbs 1:7 and 2:1-6). The closer we draw to Him, the more naturally we start to speak like Him, the way people who spend time together begin to talk alike. The same tongue can be a weapon or medicine, and the heart is the motor.

Three applications

Recognize your weapon. Ask how you used your tongue this week, to harm or to bring health. Be humble enough to say "I should not have said that" and rephrase. He gave an example of correcting his son about a messy room: calling him a lazy slob cuts down his character and gets a defensive attitude, while asking questions and giving a clear instruction can be just as direct and still strengthen him. He also described a pastor friend who asked permission to say something he would not like and then rebuked him in a way that left him feeling cared for. What we let into our minds matters too. Regular godly music, for example, gives the Spirit something to bring forward when someone needs encouragement, since no one lights a fire with wet wood.

Find your wisdom. Seek it. Pastor Ortiz said Christians beat themselves up too much over missed Bible reading; if you miss a day, you are not the worst Christian ever, though if you always miss it you should be bothered a bit. He suggested reading through Proverbs and highlighting every passage about speech, and spending time on whatever is pure, honest, lovely, and of good report. Even Jesus' harshest words to the Pharisees were truthful and still pointed them toward God.

Bring health. The word behind "health" is tied to the idea of a hospital, and hospitality. To care for someone you have to see their need, which means watching. You also have to go to them on purpose, and he described an eight-hour emergency room visit where he never felt cared for. Sometimes health means correction, but it should be done with the right heart, wanting to see righteousness and not wanting to be proven right.

Closing

He closed in prayer that he would be an encouragement and not mean-spirited in speech, and that the church would be a place that encourages one another and brings each other closer to God.