33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5)
Words Matter. It is not just because they reveal our intelligence, or our ability to speak out sounding convinced of what they say. It is becausae eventually they reveal what we are really like inside. Are we really interested in truth, or are we trying to look smart, holy, and able to judge others. Our words can send someone to jail or cause them to leap for joy; they can cost someone their retirement rescources or give them truth about eternity; they can tear them down or or build them up in their faith. Words are powerful things. So watch both what you say and why you say them. This short paragraph also makes a great lead-in to the next one, but that is for another day. Watch your words.
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