Speaking As children we probably heard, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Scripture presents another viewpoint: Words have the power of life and death (18:21). The words contained in lies (14:5, 25), arguments (26:17), insults (20:20), slander (10:18), gossip (11:13), rumors (18:8), flattery (7:21-22), and bragging (26:23; 27:2) can all be death-dealing. Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes that foolish people speak foolish words. They are represented by “the woman named Folly” (9:13-18), who lies and deceives to harm her hearers. Words reflect the condition of the heart (16:23; 18:4). While someone might conceal an evil heart by using pleasant words (26:23), a person’s true character will eventually surface (26:24-26). The words of fools not only harm others; these words ultimately injure those who speak them. The tongue is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life (Jas 3:6). In contrast, wise people speak the life-giving words represented by Wisdom (Prov 8:7-9; 10:11). Wise people use their words sparingly (17:27-28) and are usually gentle (15:4; 16:24). However, a wise person also knows the right time to speak (15:23; 25:11) and real...