Words With Friends... Word Feud

Word Feud or in the Apple world (Word with Friends) is a multiplayer word game app (Scrabble) that has become increasingly popular over the past year or so. Many of us while laying in bed has heard the "now-annoying" ding, alerting us that it is our turn to form a word. Addiction is an understatement and for those of us who have moved on to better things to do with our time (such as Angry Birds Rio), we can all appreciate the power of words.

It is interesting that while playing WordFeud we spend so much calculated time forming the perfect word, yet when speaking to our friends or associates, we are so flippant with them. Prov 16:1 says "from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue" and verse 24 "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones". (Yet, we use the power of our tongue to form such malicious words). Our mouths are corrupted with gossip, accusations, hurt, lies, curses, and aggravation. Our words, many times, are far from healing.

Prov 16:32 continues with its war on the tongue "Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city". If we took the time to form our words, how many "feuds" would never exist. If we utilized self-control, how many precious friends/marriages/relationships would still be saved. We use our tongues like automatic machine guns, spraying wounding discourse to all those in our paths.

Prov 18:2 says "Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing thier own opinions". Verse 6 says "The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating". Allegations and accusations are spewed in almost everything we read and hear... from the tabloids... to the newspaper... to the late night newscast. We are inundated in a culture of hurtful words. We are quick to saturate what we hear and embrace the sabotage, but slow to research the facts and find out the truth. Prov 18:17 "In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines".

How often do we cross-examine our own words? They are so damaging and can break hearts, crush a happy spirit, and destroy reputations. The truth is... words destroy. Ask those who have lost everything they have to false accusations. Ask those who cannot get out of bed everyday from the daily word assault they endured. Ask those who have lost children to suicide due to school hallway verbal abuse.

We must learn to control one of the strongest muscles in our body. We can use this muscle to build up, to encourage, to love... Word feud is truly an anomoly in our culture.. Loving words can be contagious... Some of us need to learn to be silent. Sometimes... silence says so much more than words...