There is an incredible video about a man named Tim Wells that hunts a bear with a blow gun. Yes, a blow gun. He makes a video, a selfie showing that he can kill a bear with a regular blow gun. It is incredible!

He shows what is necessary to do in order to accomplish this feat. The list goes something like this:

  1. Make sure your darts are razor sharp.
  2. The dart has a cup, about the size of a sewing thimble, on the back of the dart. Is used to propel the dart when you blow on the gun. It is necessary to loosen the cup so that it comes off of the dart when it strikes the target allowing the dart to continue into the animal. If the cup stays on the dart it will keep the dart from the penetration that is necessary to kill the bear.
  3. Practice your marksmanship.
  4. Then he shows that is necessary to get very close to the bear.
  5. And last he shows that there is a kill zone and the dart has to hit that kill zone.

You can watch that video by clicking on the picture below.

THE UGLY TRUTH
Some people have incredible bias to such hunts. The ugly truth that I want to draw attention to applies to everyone and is mentioned in Proverbs 18:21. It reads,
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

  1. We make sure our words are sharp. We hone them and refine them and make sure that they will penetrate deep, and do great harm.
  2. Then we make adjustments to our words so that there is nothing attached to them that will effectively stop them from penetrating.
  3. We practice, practice practice practice and become deadly marksmen. Then we turn those words on the ones we love most. At the slightest provocation we will take those words and use them on our unsuspecting victims and at the perfect moment prove that our hours of practiced verbal malice was not spent in vain. Then we do more damage to those loved ones than the greatest enemy. It is uncanny what we can and will do to people that should be objects of love and respect.
  4. We know how close we need to be when we make the shot
  5. and then we watch for the reaction as our words find the kill zone and bring death.

In the New Testament book of James chapter 3 it is written:
3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Jesus said:
“I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36

The fact is that our words are extremely powerful. The monetary damage caused by words is unbelievable. And how about the damage to the morale of fragile individuals by bullies who insist on using their deadly craft.

I heard about a teenage boy who was trying to prove to bigger boys that he was tough. And in order to show off in front of the big boys he picked on another boy and said some harsh words.
The bigger boys didn’t even pay attention to this little tough guy as he spewed forth venomous words on his unsuspecting victim. But the boy the words were directed to dropped his head and tried to avoid the shame that was heaped on him by the wanna be tough boy.
The next day the victim did not come to school. He couldn’t. He was dead. He committed suicide. And the tough boy realized the power of the tongue.

When will we, either as individuals or a society realize the power of the tongue and the coming judgment for every single spoken word?

At no point did I say “you.” I couldn’t. I, too, am guilty. May God help us to understand the power of the tongue and to restrain ourselves from speaking hurtful, damaging and deadly words.

It is time to offer sincere apologies to victims of our verbal abuse. It is time to use the tongue as an instrument of healing, soothing and comforting those who Jesus came to save.

Prayer for today: God please help me keep my mouth shut unless I am using my words to comfort and heal all that are created in Your precious image.

Action for today: Go to your victims and offer sincere apologies without excusing yourself for the improper and hurtful spoken words.