By Kairos Reed · InnerKwest Sermonettes · September 22, 2025
They say when you point a finger, three point back at you. It’s an old saying, but it feels like Scripture written into our very hands. Our gestures reveal our hearts. And our tongues — oh, our tongues — they reveal even more. Words can bless, words can curse, words can shape destiny. You don’t need a battlefield to see it. Every conversation is a field of war or peace.
Scripture
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)
“All who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)
“The tongue is a fire… a world of unrighteousness.” (James 3:6)
“Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
Turn
We know this truth in our bones. When words cut, they leave wounds deeper than steel. And sometimes — here’s the hardest part — it is not another’s blade but our own tongue that pierces us. We fall on our own sword. Then we wonder: how will others see our self-inflicted wound? With pity? With scorn? With forgiveness?
And here is the danger: sometimes we try to cover our cut with a label — “I am a Christian.” As though the name itself will excuse the harm. But the name Christian is not a shield to hide behind. It is a mirror that should convict us.
Lift
Culture knows this too. In the Harry Potter stories, Voldemort’s very name carried terror. He Who Must Not Be Named. A word so heavy with fear that it silenced entire rooms. That is what happens when words become chains — when empathy dies and language becomes a weapon of domination.
But look at Christ. He spoke names to set people free. “Mary.” “Lazarus, come forth.” “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” His words lifted burdens, restored dignity, healed bodies, and called life out of tombs. Where fear silences, Christ liberates.
Here lies the inflection point: when we speak, which way will we turn? Will our tongues echo Voldemort, chaining others with fear, or echo Christ, releasing others with love?
Every time you open your mouth, you stand at a crossroads. One sentence can fracture a friendship; another can mend a family. One harsh word can scar a child; one gentle answer can steady their soul. One phrase of contempt can light the fire of war; one phrase of mercy can close the door to violence.
This is why James said the tongue is a spark. Sparks don’t stay small. They spread. And if the only fuel they find is bitterness, envy, or pride, they become infernos. But when sparked in love, even the smallest word can light a lantern in the dark.
And remember the hand. When you point, three fingers point back. That is God’s reminder that judgment begins at home. Before I measure another, I must measure myself. Before I expose their wound, I must confess my own.
Paul offers a better way: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Empathy is not just restraint; it is entering into another’s joy and sorrow with our whole selves. This is the way of Christ: empathy before critique, humility before defense, love before fear.
Land
So when we fall on our own sword, the question is not how others will see us. The question is: will we confess, repent, and stand again? If we own our words, make restitution where possible, and let humility shape our posture, perception will follow. And more than perception — grace will follow.
Do not expect the world to bandage the wounds you made. Expect Christ to meet you at the point of your fall. Expect mercy when you confess. Expect restoration when you practice empathy before speech.
Because the tongue can kill, yes — but it can also resurrect. The inflection point is now, with your next word.
Closing Prayer
Lord, tame our tongues. Give us empathy before accusation, humility before defense, love before fear. Let our words be seeds of life, not swords of death. Amen.
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