THE POWER OF YOUR TONGUE

June 06, 2022

 

What you say today will have effects far beyond your imagination. Your words carry the power of life or death, good or evil, blessing or cursing. All through the Scripture, God instructs us about the use of the tongue. His tool for motivation is by showing us the tongue’s effects—for good or evil. Each phrase of Proverbs 15 is sobering as it outlines speech’s power.

GOOD WORDS …

• A gentle answer turns away wrath (Vs. 1)
• The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable (Vs. 2)
• A soothing tongue is a tree of life (Vs. 4)
• The lips of the wise spread knowledge (Vs 7)
• The slow to anger calms a dispute (Vs. 18)
• A timely answer brings joy and delight (Vs. 23)
• Pleasant words are pure (Vs. 26)

BAD WORDS

• Harsh words stir up anger (Vs. 1)
• The mouth of fools spouts folly (Vs. 2)
• Perversion in your words crushes the spirit (Vs. 4)
• Foolish words do not spread knowledge (Vs. 7)
• Hot-tempered (words) stir up strife (Vs. 18)

Your words are not neutral. Everything you say will either advance joy, life, harmony, knowledge, life, peace, joy and delight or they will stir up anger, folly, lies, foolishness, and strife. You may not think you have that power, but you do. If you look around you and see the trail of those evil effects, don’t blame your circumstances or others. The guilt lies squarely at the feet of your own choices with your words.

And remember, Jesus said your mouth speaks out of that which fills your heart. If your heart is surrendered to Christ and filled with His grace and truth, life-giving words will come out. But the reverse is also true.

Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit today. Take complete control. Let me carefully, wisely listen to Your Spirit before a word comes out of my mouth. Let my words be God-initiated. Protect me from the sudden foolish word that will harm everyone around me and abort the advance of Your kingdom.

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