THE POWER OF THE TONGUE
Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
A couple of months ago, I found myself having a bit of a rough time, and I didn’t felt like myself for weeks. At the same time, my professional life ramped up to the point where I would feel overwhelmed even had I been in a normal state of mind. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time filling my husband’s ears with all of my woes, bemoaning the challenges that this confluence of events was presenting to my relative sanity.
Eventually, though, God reminded me during my daily study about the key role that the words that we speak can have on our reality. I can assure you that my rants included very little positivity, and I realized that I was contributing to my own challenges simply by focusing on (and reinforcing through my words) the negative.
The Word says that death and LIFE are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and what we say matters; the things that we speak over our lives affect our attitudes and our energy, and have the potential to reinforce both the good and the bad in our lives.
Even when the trials come, and the outlook seems bleak; it is still incumbent upon us to speak life over our situations…even the ones that seem dead and without hope of revival. Romans 4:17b states that God “gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” No situation is truly dead when our God is involved, and your word of faith—which can set off a chain reaction in your spirit and that of those around you—may be just what God was waiting for to move in a mighty and miraculous way in your life.
The next time you find yourself in a situation that seems hopeless or insurmountable, make a conscious decision to speak life over your circumstance. You’ll create an atmosphere for God to breathe life into a seemingly dead situation.
Speak Life!
And Shine Your Light…
Additional Scriptures
Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV)
Matthew 12:36 – “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” (ESV)
Matthew 12:37 – “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (ESV)
James 3:3-6 – “The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (NLT)
Photo Credits
Photo 1: https://dashthebook.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/speak-life-in-the-parcc/
Photo 2: https://churchgraphicsinc.com/product/speak-life-sermon-graphic/
Exposed: Everything is Illuminated 