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21 The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 NIV
Speak Life or Death
When we are told that something or someone has the power of life and death, it gets our attention.
We realize that whatever or whoever is mentioned must have great ability and extreme power.
It might come as a surprise that the Bible is not speaking of an emperor or king nor is it talking about a weapon or medicine of the time.
It is instead referencing something that we are each born with and all use to a greater or lesser extent.
Using the Tongue for Good or Evil
Our verse is referring to the human tongue.
Your tongue is yours to use. It is up to you to unleash it or keep it under control.
Powerful Words
Words can heal and raise someone up who is downcast by encouragement and by speaking the words of Scripture. You can pray for someone and make a world of difference.
Prayer goes from the human tongue to God’s ear and does more good than man on earth will ever know.
Likewise, the human tongue when bent on evil and harm can destroy another human life unmercifully.
Words on Social Media and In the Hallway
How many young people especially have been destroyed by a bully on social media or in the school hallways?
Words that mock and crush will maim the soul of an individual more deeply than a strong man could ever harm with his fists.
The emotional scars are often there on a person’s mind and heart and memory for an entire lifetime.
The Gift of the Tongue
Those who love communication and who desire to be understood use the gift of the tongue. It will fill us and those around us with either sweet or poisoned fruit. Pure conversation and kind and loving words will bring healing, health, joy, blessing, and the words of God to others.
Likewise, the evil communication that we glean from the fields of satan, will do nothing but hurt and harm and bring illness and death to the listener.
Both the Speaker and the Hearer
Interestingly, enough. It does the same for the speaker. The power of life and death is, indeed, in the tongue.
Speak blessing and the speaker will be blessed and grow more into the likeness of Jesus.
The good fruit of kind words will return to bless our souls as well as the listeners.
Speak evil words of wrath and the speaker will become more like his father of lies, the devil. The poison that we spew will return to sour our thoughts and lives with its venom.
Asking God to Govern Our Tongue
Asking God to govern our tongues and words, attitudes, and the thoughts they convey is critical for the speaker as well as for the one who will hear your words
You have the ability to heal or to harm.
Just know that God hears all of our words and that we are responsible for every one of them.