Piercing like a Sword

Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." I never really thought about how my words can pierce like a sword. Now I don't know about you, but I would definitely not be able to handle a sword. 1. I'm clumsy. 2. I'm not very coordinated. 3. I'm a blonde and I just don't think a combination of those three would work out very well. But really, our words are like a sword. If I can't handle an actual sword, I really don't think I can handle my words. They can cut someone down or build them up in two seconds flat. What would our lives look like if we spent every opportunity of our day building others up? Would there be less gossipping? Better days in general? James writes in James 3:9-10, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." What a convicting verse. In the matter of one day, we can gossip about friends and then go and sing a worship song praising our Lord. What a blessing our lives would be if we used our words to bless and build others up. What will you say today?