The Mighty Sword in Your Mouth

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Prov 18:21)

We all know it, but we rarely stop to think before we speak. The tongue is powerful. With it, James said, we can bless God and curse men. Our speech today can lift people up, bringing life, or tear them down, bringing death. It can bring life or death to others and to us.

THE SOURCE

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 that “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Whatever is in your heart will ultimately come out of your mouth. If there is bitterness within, angry, harsh words come out. If there is kindness, your words will bless others.

This is why 3 things are essential:

1. We must fill our lives with the Word of God. Taking it in daily so that it fills our minds and hearts.
2. We must be careful to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We must daily, hourly, yield our lives to His control and consciously let Him lead.
3. We must present the tongue to God as a weapon for righteousness as Paul says in Romans 6:13: “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (the word “instruments” literally means “weapons”)

Can you imagine what would happen today if all of us simply did these three things and that every word that came from our mouths today was “good for edification, fit for the need of the moment, and gave grace to those who hear?” (Ephesians 4:29)