Death And Life Are In The Power Of Our Words


This is one of my favorite verses in Proverbs, just after the Proverbs 31 Woman. Words are incredibly important and indescribably powerful, but we rarely stop to think about the effects our words can have on other people and on everyday situations.

In Sunday school yesterday, we gave the teens a single sentence and told them to say it in certain emotions. My example was “Did you see the ducks on the pond?” Then I read it like I was happy, sad, angry, confused, worried and disappointed, changing my voice inflection each time. Well, they were off and running with it. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages hearing “I have five things to do today” spoken with confusion, “The grocery store was busy today” read painfully and “The dog’s name is George” with disappointment. 


After this fun game, we talked about what our words should and shouldn’t be. We each picked a word that sounded intriguing, looked up the verse and explained it to the group. It’s eye-opening to see how God uses both direct commands and conversations in Scripture to be our example for godly speech. Too often we throw words around without taking the time to think through them and choose the ones that will uplift and bring joy to someone’s life.

The truth behind Solomon’s words in Proverbs 18:21 is just as true today - your tongue and the words you speak have powerful and lasting impacts on the people around you. What would happen if you stopped for a moment before you spoke and weighed your words carefully? It might mean death or life to the other person, and it could change your heart int he most amazing of ways.

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