The Hammer

 During one of my recent devotionals, the speaker noted that our words are like a hammer. When I think of a hammer my mind races to memories of my own father. Joe E. Carter was a builder and the evidence of his work still exists today in our home town, where he and his crews built close to 100 homes during the 60's and 70's. The houses he built have served as homes for thousands of families over the past 50+ years, and most likely will serve as homes for generations to come. His hammer provided safety, security, and a sense of belonging in our community. Just as a hammer can be used to provide the aforementioned assurances, unfortunately that same hammer can be used to tear down and destroy with one fatal blow. 

The devotional speaker I referenced above compared the words we speak to the power of that hammer. Our words can be used to build up and encourage or our words can beat down and destroy a person's sense of worth. Many times our words are said without considering the potential damage that they may cause. It is our responsibility to choose our words carefully, we make the choice of the outcome, building up or tearing down. The question you have to ask yourself today is "Do I build up or do I tear down with the words I speak each day?"

 Proverbs 18:21 warns us that "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit". Just as in our example of the contradictory uses of a hammer, our words have the power to provide encouragement and a sense of security, (build up), or we can use our words to tear down and destroy (death). Sadly, today I feel that many of our neighbors are using their words with the power to destroy and far fewer folks are building others up with their words. The good news is we are in control of our tongues and we make the choice of what impact our words will have on others. I want to encourage you to be a builder of hope and peace, not a demolition expert destroying others with the words you speak. 

The Book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon, considered to be the wisest man to have lived prior to the birth of Jesus, and throughout his contribution to the Bible, Solomon constantly speaks to the constructive/destructive ability of our words. At least seventeen times in Proverbs, Solomon shares his wisdom on the topic of the impact of our words, and the message found in Proverbs 12:18 serves as a standard bearer for how Solomon felt about the hammer our words have the potential to be. "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." 

Choose to build people up with your hammer. Reconstruct what is broken in your world with your hammer and make the choice to firmly hammer love and truth to a world that so desperately needs  reconstruction in our hearts. Choosing to use your hammer to destroy may only take one fatal swing, so guard your words, think of others and the impact your words will have, and listen more than you speak. In doing so, your words will build safe and secure dwellings just like the homes my father constructed so many years ago. 

Coach Carter