Go Beyond

   Perhaps you have thought, “The sixth commandment (Ex. 20:13) is the easiest to obey. I’ve never killed anyone and certainly don’t intend to.” The Bible however, tells us that there is more than one way to murder a person. Those who would never think of wielding a gun or knife against another are often guilty of murder with a different weapon — their words. We violate the spirit of the sixth commandment every time we murder the reputations or personalities of others with false and malicious words.

   The Mosaic law prohibited people from filing false accusations against their fellow citizens in a court of law (Lev. 19:16a). In addition, the law warned against endangering the life of another (Lev. 19:16b) by giving testimony based on false or inadequate information. A few years ago I grieved with a friend whose twenty-year career came to an abrupt and unexpected halt because of the slanderous speech of another. My friend suffered the humiliation of losing his job and home. Only after the harm was done did the slanderer repent of the lies that damaged my friend’s life and reputation.

   What steps can we take to insure that we do not harm others with our words? One way is to ask a trusted friend to hold us accountable for our words. We can make great strides toward greater verbal accountability by answering this simple question every day, “Have I spoken about anyone in a negative or inappropriate manner today?” This question reminds us of the worth of people and the power of words to hurt them. The question also reminds us of our responsibility to refrain from speech and actions that can harm others. What about you? Who can you ask to hold you accountable for your speech?

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Please take a moment to read Life’s Value | 1, Life’s Value | 3, and Life’s Value | 4.