Devotional
The Power of Words
Proverbs 18:21
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Whether we like it or not, every word we speak has power over people’s lives, including our own lives. Every time we speak, we choose either life or death, blessings or curses, healing or pain, etc… You may never know how seriously people may take the words that you speak to them whether good or bad.
Gossip, criticizing word, harsh words, and thoughtless words are all spoken with the power of death. (1)These words can cause deep pain and they can hurt relationships. Many times, when we’re not careful, one of these words can slip out and the damage done can be extremely hard to fix. For example, words are like tooth paste; as soon as it’s squeezed out of the tube, there’s no way to put it back in. You can never truly take back that may have accidentally slipped out. Isaiah 58:9 says that when we get rid of this problem, God will answer when his people call to him.
Outcry is the Youth Ministry at BridgeWay Church in Denver, CO www.bridgeway.us
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These words are not only painful, they can also affect people’s destinies. A family friend once told us a story about when he was younger. Charles was an extremely tall kid and was very talented in basketball. He could have become a wonderful basketball player, however one day another kid made fun of him saying he had chicken legs. This may have been funny for everyone else but it was so hurtful to Charles, that he never played basketball again because he didn’t want to wear shorts. The one who had made fun of him may never know how influential his words were for Charles’ future.
Instead of speaking words of death, God calls us to speak words of life. Solomon speaks of this in Proverbs. “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11) Words of life can be healing to people who are broken. Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” These words are encouragement and can even be strength for those who are down.
Luke 6:45 says that “… out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” This means that in order to make our words glorify God, there must be a transformation in our hearts. If our hearts are overflowing with love for our Savior, nothing but life will come out of our mouths. There will be no room for death to intrude into our conversations. God gave us mouths for a reason. He gave us them so we could glorify Him and so that we may display the love of Christ to those around us. When we speak with words of life, we do give God glory. However, when the opposite comes out of our mouths, we are giving the enemy a chance to speak lies into people’s lives. So, BE CAREFUL LITTLE MOUTHS WHAT YOU SAY!
Scriptures to Pray: Psalm 119:171 & Psalm 19:14
Today’s Prayer:
Father God, show me the power of my words. Hold my tongue in check when I want to say things I shouldn't. Teach me to speak words of life instead of words of death. In Jesus' name, Amen.
By Ellie Stailey
Outcry Youth Ministry • BridgeWay Church •8556 E. Warren Avenue • Denver, CO 80231 • 303-695-8400 • jessica@bridgeway.us