Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words are like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” On Sunday the children learned about the power of words. During the children’s sermon, we compared words with a tube of toothpaste. If used the right way, toothpaste helps clean our teeth and keep our mouth healthy. Words are the same way. If we use our words to cheer someone up and say nice, helpful things, our words can bring joy (health) to another person.
Sometimes we can get sloppy with our toothpaste. It can leak all over the cap and make an annoying mess. Same with our words. Sometimes we aren’t careful and little cut-downs or grumblings slip out of our mouth. When we’re sloppy with our words, we make little messes.
Now if you squeeze really hard on a tube of toothpaste, all the toothpaste comes squirting out. What a mess that makes! Our words can do the same thing. When you open your mouth and speak hurtful, mean things, you make a huge mess!
Have you ever tried shoving toothpaste back into the tube after it has been squirted out? You can’t, can you. The same with your words. Once you say those hurtful things, you can’t take them back. Saying “sorry” or “I was just kidding,” doesn’t take the sting of those words away. Long after you have forgotten what you’ve said, the person you talked ‘mean to’ will remember it. You can’t take it back, just like you can’t put toothpaste back into the tube.
The Bible says “Reckless words pierce like a sword.” Those are the messy toothpaste words. They hurt people. They can make a mess in our lives and the lives of others. The Bible continues to say, “but the tongue of the wise brings healing,” Proverbs 12:18. We want our words to be helpful to people. Just like toothpaste when used right helps keep us healthy, we want to use our words right to bring joy and healing to our friends, family and neighbors.
In Message Experience, we focused on the Word of God as a hammer. Jeremiah 23:29 says ,“Is not My Word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” We took kids church outside and lay tarps down to make clean up easy. I told kids that my rubber mallet was like the Word of God. It smashes the enemies’ lies and keeps us free. I made a negative statement, applying it to myself, then gave the kids the truth about what the Word of God says. For example, I said, “I’m so dumb — I can’t remember anything.” I placed a banana on the covered table and quoted a scripture that refuted that false statement. I tried to choose relatable quotes that kids might say themselves. After a smashing day, kids felt empowered and excited about learning scriptures.
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