Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
A formidable power dwells within each of us. This power has changed the course of nations. It is capable of starting and ending wars. And it has made men rich and women famous. It has the means to commend or corrupt—to bless or to blame. It is the power of the tongue.
God greatly desires for us to use this power to bring glory to His name and to advance His kingdom here on Earth. He wants us to speak with love and to declare truth boldly. But, Satan also wants a piece of that action. He tries to keep us in the dark about the power of our words and entices us to use them for harm instead of hope.
That is why we would do well to watch our mouths, but I will tell you that is not an easy thing to do. In addition to the verse above, which reminds us that our words hold the power of life and death, Mark 11 reminds us that our words have the power to cast entire mountains into the sea and wither fig trees. How could we ever hope to tame such a thing as the tongue (James 3:1-12)?
That is why we must surrender our whole selves to Christ and remember that when we call Him Lord, that makes Him our master and it makes us His slaves. Only then, with the tongue submitted to the perfect will of God, can we hope to master this great power we have been given to bless Him and bless others with our loving and empowering words.
For His kingdom,
Tony Evans
