“There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:16-22, NASB)

Have you ever heard of the “Sakabato” sword? It means a “reverse-blade sword.” It comes from the Japanese manga or anime series called “Runouni Kenshin” or “Samurai X.” It tells the story of a notorious assassin named Himura Kenshin, who fought and killed many during the Japanese civil war in 1868. After the war, he vowed never to kill again and began wandering Japan, purposely carrying a reverse-blade sword so that he could not kill others. Although it is a violent and fantastical story, it has a profound message about how far a person would go to avoid hurting others. As Christians, we should at least take a lesson from this and seek to live our lives with a “sakabato” kind of speaking. In the Bible, there are many references that say that our tongue or words are like swords that can heal or harm others. Today’s passage is one of them. It says,

“A fool’s vexation is known at once, but a prudent man conceals dishonor. He who speaks truth tells what is right, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy. No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.”

If your words were like a sword, how many times have you hurt others with your speech? If your words were like a sword, are you using them to harm or to heal others? To me, verse 18 sums up the whole passage: “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Words are much more powerful than we often realize. We have all been hurt by someone saying something mean without thinking. These words leave scars on the heart that take a long time to go away. On the other hand, encouraging and uplifting words can bring healing and build others up. In today’s reading, it is clear that God delights in wise, truthful, and edifying speech and detests foolish, hurtful, and deceitful words. You can’t get any clearer than verse 22, where it says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD.”

If you are truly serious about living a life that is pleasing to God, then you must find a way to control your words. Much like the story of Kenshin, would you “reverse” your fleshly speech and cut out words and thoughts that are malicious and hurtful? It takes a simple rule to follow: Pause before you speak and filter your words. This is not hard to do. Verse 16 says, “A fool’s vexation is known at once, but a prudent man conceals dishonor.” Instead of being a fool and speaking rashly, recklessly, or out of frustration, develop the habit of holding your tongue and filtering your words. One of the practical areas that we must practice in the “laying aside the old self” and “putting on the new self” is our speech pattern. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” To obey this verse, there must be some sort of filtering process that is placed in our hearts and minds. Take a moment to pray for wisdom, which God promises to give us freely without reproach (Ja.1:5). Ask yourself how you can “speak the truth in love” in that situation (Eph.4:15). Pause and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your words. He is our Helper and teaches us to speak the truth in love. Furthermore, God’s word is the “sword of the Spirit,” and the more it fills our hearts, the more we will have His thoughts rather than our fleshly ones, and He will use it to fight evil and build up the body of Christ.

• Why do you think Solomon likened our speech to a “sword?”
• What do you think is a good way to filter your words before you speak?