“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21
King Solomon, who was the wisest among men, reminds us to be careful with what we say, because what we speak produces life or death in our lives.
Before having a deeper relationship with Christ, I was not careful with the words I spoke. When I opened my mouth to speak, I could stop myself. Most of the time, my husband would tell me to “Breathe”. Without realizing it, I have told everything. As a result, I am usually misinterpreted. As the saying goes, old habits die hard! For me, I was just being honest, but I was not aware that sometimes others see it differently. It came to a point that one of the closest to me said things that really hurt because of what I said and it really breaks my heart because I feel I didn’t do anything wrong. I know I am still a work in progress, but the difference is, now I acknowledge my mistake and control my emotions by praying and surrendering everything to God. Otherwise, I would message back and say things that could make matters worse.
I really praise and thank the Lord for molding me and making me realize how important it is to think first before I speak. Words are so powerful that it can make or break a person. But the good news is, our tongues can be placed under God’s control. We just need to surrender everything to Him and pray for wisdom, that every word that comes out of our mouth will be words of life and not death.
Most of the time, when we are angry at something or someone, we say things we don’t mean and these can leave a deep wound in a person’s heart. This verse is a good reminder for all of us to be mindful of what we say. Let us start our day by speaking words that lead others to Christ, words that are uplifting and encouraging, words that give life, hope, power, victory and not defeat!
