A Surgeon or Sword-Swinger? (Proverbs 12:18)
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Proverbs 12:18
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
When I was a freshman in college, I earned the nickname ‘Laserbeam Luke.’ For a while I had no idea why, and I just assumed it was because I was a very passionate guy and maybe laserbeams were what my friends found to be the best imagery for it. But my suppositions were quickly proven wrong when I learned they called me that because I made very blunt and direct comments to people that others wouldn’t. I said things people were thinking but wouldn’t say, and they wouldn’t say them for good reason.
Sometimes my words missed the mark and, frankly, to use the verse’s language, they were rash. I was a sword-swinger. So it’s no wonder this verse stopped me in my tracks. I’ve lived this out, and I’m sure you all have a story you could tell too, seeing this verse play out in your lives.
It would not be bold of me to say we all have been on the giving and receiving end of some harsh words – some rash words – from a peer or family member that left us wounded. And that’s exactly what sword thrusts do; they wound.
The lesson here is similar to ones we’ve already seen in Proverbs and are bound to see again: the tongue is a powerful organ – a weapon, even – that can be used for great destruction. But I would not be doing our mouths and our words justice if I stopped there.
The tongue is just as powerful to heal as it is to wound.
We see that in the second half of the verse:
‘the tongue of the wise brings healing’...
The KJV translates that to say the tongue of the wise ‘promotes health.’ So just as quickly as words can cut the hearts of others, they can heal them too. They can build up just as easily as they can break down.
So Proverbs 12:18 is a powerful reminder of the weight we carry with our words. James wasn’t exaggerating when he called the tongue a fire – small but devastating. One spark and a whole relationship can go up in flames. But this verse is also an invitation to us this morning to reflect on our language.
Ask yourself:
“Where have my words recently landed like a sword – and where have they brought healing?”
“Who in my life needs healing words from me today?”
“Am I more often a verbal surgeon… or a sword-swinger?”
I invite you to think about those questions and to think about them in specific relationships. There are some people who might try your patience more than others, and I encourage you to reflect on why. Your heart is likely just as big a problem as the other person you’re dealing with.
And today we see the wise in heart don’t just watch their words – they wield them with care.
In every situation, in every relationship, they know the power they carry – and they choose to promote healing.
And before we pray, let’s remember why we can pray. Jesus is the Word made flesh – the one whose every word was true, timely, and full of grace. And on the cross, He didn’t meet sword thrusts with more thrusts. He took them. Every reckless word we’ve ever spoken, every wound we’ve ever caused – He bore them all.
And now? He speaks a better word over us: “Forgiven. Healed. Loved.”
So today, let’s ask the Lord to make our words more like His – full of grace, full of truth, and used to bring healing, not harm.
