Idle Words by Rev. W. H. Lewis

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 22, 1877

Idle Words.

By Rev. W. H. Lewis

It may be thought that undue importance is given to our words. A word! what is it? A mere breath of utterance, often without much of thought or deliberate purpose! Why should it be laid up against us, and an eternal judgment rest upon it? Because it is not the light thing that it is supposed to be. Words indicate our own character, and they help form the character of others. We judge our fellow-men by their words, why should not God do the same? If one is habitually frothy and trifling in conversation, we do not intrust any very grave business to him; we say, “He may be capable, but I don’t like his talk.” A single word has often let us into the character of a man so that we employ or reject him for nothing else. Very likely we are often mistaken in such judgments, but it is one of the means we have of estimating character, and all use it. God never errs in judging, and why should he not use the same means? Words are the index of thoughts. There can be little danger of mistake in saying that a man who swears is not religious, that the whole tone of speech in another indicates true piety.

And, besides, words tend to form character. They have their influence for good or evil. See that young man pouring into the ears of a companion something that he ought not to hear; will it not leave its bad effects? Or the boy who, amid a group of boys, takes God’s name in vain; will he not have admirers and imitators? Or the slanderer; does he not smite and blight with his tongue? What wound is there that rankles more than some evil word that has been uttered against us? Or what gives us more grief than some we have spoken? If we could have the privilege of taking back all that we have ever said amiss, who would not eagerly catch at the offer? But they are gone to judgment beyond our recall, and by them we are to be justified or condemned by the God who has not forgotten one of them. Millions have gone forth from our lips since the days of our infancy, and who can bear the trial of them?

The text of scripture, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment,” is one that makes us feel instantly that we cannot be saved by our own merits. Who would think of going to Judgment on his own righteousness, when his own words condemn him? We have verily sinned in thought, word and deed, against the Divine Majesty, and have need to pray God for Christ’s sake to forgive us our sins. May he also make us more watchful over our words, that nothing proceed out of our mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”—Rev. W. H. Lewis, D. D.