Shortly after moving to Uganda, I learned of a volunteer who contributed significantly on behalf of the East African people he came to serve. Yet despite all he accomplished on the field, he also caused harm by speaking falsehoods that caused rifts among his mission team members.

God’s Word firmly addresses such conduct, saying, “There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things He detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

What enters your mind as you read these things? Do you find yourself thinking of times, perhaps even recently, that you have done the very things that God detests? It’s interesting and convicting that God places “hands that kill the innocent” and “a false witness who pours out lies” in the same list of sins. One act clearly seems more heinous than the other.

The revelation that God’s scale equally weighs both behaviors should serve as strong motivation for us to speak truthfully. We should use discernment when we speak in order to prevent discord or strife among our brothers and sisters in Christ and among the other people we encounter each day (Ephesians 4:15).

In the workplace, for example, we should avoid talking in a manner that might turn colleagues against one another (4:25). If an argument or hard feelings exist between you and another person, everyone on your team might feel the tension. Subsequently, strife could spread throughout your organization.

Consider how you are treating your friends, family members, colleagues, and the other people in your life. If you are creating disunity with your words, ask the Lord for wisdom to behave differently and then act on the guidance He gives you.