Nelson Searcy exposes the power of words in his new book Tongue Pierced. Through this book, he challenges readers to live a tongue-pierced lifestyle, that is to say a life in which they acknowledge the importance of using their words to love God and others. Searcy aims to poke a hole in the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” because he has found that words carry greater power than we realize.
Words reveal the spiritual health of a person’s heart and unfortunately the majority of people’s words reveal a slow spiritual decay. We use words too flippantly without realizing their power. Searcy discusses a few topics such as how words can change our environments, cultivate relationships, and change our states of mind. He has a chapter on the inner voice in your head, which rarely is talked about. He explains that the inner voice in your head directly impacts your actions, character and integrity, as well as your health. There is also a chapter about cussing, which will challenge anyone to rethink the weightiness of foul language. He does not include any discussion questions throughout the book, but he does provide a 30-day no-cussing challenge.
This book would be utilized best in personal devotion. I don’t believe Searcy intended for this book to be used as small group curriculum, but that his goal was to challenge believers to think before they speak, realize the power of their words, and use their words to glorify the Lord.
