Catching Fire: The Power of Our WordsSample

The book of Proverbs is a wisdom book. This means not everything there is a guarantee, a promise, or a sure thing. It isn’t prescriptive. Instead, it’s like a mentor sitting down with a mentee and saying: “Given my age and my experience, here’s what I’ve learned so far.” King Solomon wrote many of the proverbs, and his wisdom came straight from God. He’s likely the source of this proverb, too.

So, what does this voice of wisdom say in this specific proverb? “Whoever pours out lies will perish” (Proverbs 19:9). This doesn’t necessarily mean a liar dies. It means our lies come back to us, and they do kill a part of ourselves and our lives when we tell them. Our words don’t exist in a void; they aren’t isolated from the rest of our lives. The lies we tell are a part of our experience and simultaneously affect our experience. This isn’t a karma thing. This is just the way the world works. Eventually, lies reveal themselves. They don’t stay hidden forever because they can’t - the truth comes out.

When we think about the way we use our words in our relationships, in our professional lives, and every other area, consider this: there are consequences. What are some ways you have seen this play out in your own life? What can you do differently to take this into account?