The Power in our Words

I’ve noticed a big problem with humanity; we do not think before we speak. This has been a prayer of mine for a while because I have learnt the value of words and from a young age, I have been taught about their power. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) reads, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” This verse shows that your words have the power to give life or to kill. In this day and age, things like affirmations and manifestations are put on a pedestal. This is the belief that you can speak success and whatever else you please into existence. And even though the people who partake in this may not know about God and how everything good comes from Him, they still reap the rewards of speaking life. This is because they are abiding by the spiritual laws written in the Bible: if you speak life, you will eat its fruit. It saddens me when people don’t know the power of their words. When people say things like “I’m going to fail this test” or “I’m never going to be that fit” or even speak badly about their own country, they are legitimately speaking death over themselves.

I used to say anything to get people to laugh, no matter how terrible it was. I thought it didn’t matter because I was joking. And the sad reality was that even though I had the blessing of knowing the words of King Solomon, I didn’t think twice when it came to pleasing a crowd. In Matthew 12:36 (NIV) Jesus says “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” Every empty word. It doesn’t matter whether you meant it as a joke or not. Every empty word, even if you weren’t serious. We will each have to give an account of the words we say. Proverbs 10:19 (NIV) states, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” I have learned that it’s better to keep quiet than to pay for the folly I may speak. It is better to stay silent than to say something I can’t take back. Proverbs 17:28 (NIV) says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”

Obviously, it’s better to speak life than death. “Gracious words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 (NIV). I have seen the power of speaking healing and positivity in my life and it is real. The scriptures are true, when we speak kindness we heal, when we speak life, we bear its fruits! It is such a blessing to be able to affirm good in our lives by speaking well, but in the same way, you will bear the fruits of speaking ill.

So how did I train myself to hold my tongue? I prayed! Sometimes I forget that God is there for me to talk to and ask for help, strength and guidance. I prayed to ultimately be conscious of the things that I’m about to say and to think before I speak. I prayed that whatever I said would be wise. I hope that after reading this you are able to repent for speaking freely and speaking death. I encourage you today to pray for this kind of consciousness and to be able to identify words that would not please the LORD. I encourage you to take into consideration that on judgment day, we give an account of everything we have said. I hope that we may all begin to take the power of words seriously. I challenge you to hold your tongue and to speak when necessary so that your tongue does not lead you astray. I ask that we all think about what we are about to say before we say it.

“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” Proverbs 21:23 (NIV)