Power of Life in the Tongue
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 (NJKV)
Our words can bring life or death. Recently I’ve been in a few situations where I’ve seen the power of the tongue at work. After words were spoken the atmosphere immediately changed. It’s amazing how instantly something so simple as words can change everything. The good news is we don’t have to bring pain or hurt with our words. Gentle words are a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4, NLT) and we can bring that life to others!
I am definitely guilty of not always choosing the most appropriate words and I’m sorry if I’ve ever unintentionally hurt someone by doing this. I want to choose life and words can bring life to others. We can encourage one another with our words instead of bringing comparison and criticism. This is something I want to be intentional about and to make a priority in my life. I am reminded of the scripture in Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT):
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Today I am choosing life. First and foremost I need to give over my thoughts and words daily to Jesus; my healer, redeemer and savior. Another reason to do this, Luke 6:45 (NLT) states “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” When we give our hearts to Jesus, His love will flow from it! I also believe it’s important to hold every thought captive and think before we speak. So many times I unintentionally say things because I don’t think about what I am saying. My purpose in life is to love God and love others. When I chose to love I will bring life in my words.
What do you think about the power of life in the tongue?
How can we speak life to one another and purposefully chose to uplift?
A wonderful writing on the creative power of the spoken word…it brings to mind Genesis 1:3-4 when God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” Even now God has given His Creation the power to speak light and dispel the darkness!