The power of our words to acquit and condemn.
In our family, we have a running joke that when someone gets quiet or slows to monosyllables they have exhausted their 1000 words for the day.
Have you ever considered how many words you speak in a day? And of those words how many are life-giving?
Proverbs 18:21 says “Life and death is in the power of the tongue and they that love it will eat the fruit thereof.”
By this proverb, words have creative power; whatever we speak we give permission to exist.
Consequently, we are each responsible for the things we say. “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle [thoughtless, unprofitable, injurious or useless] word you speak. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36)
Carefully consider your words before you release them from your lips.
Speak life
As the Bible lights our path and illuminates the best way to go, it constantly reminds us to speak life. Life-giving words:
- Bring great value to the hearer. “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)
- Build, heal, and restore relationships. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1).
- Nourish the soul and the body. “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul, and healthy for the body.” (Proverbs 16:24).
We can all relate, compliments lift our mood and one insult can turn our day sour.
But it takes discipline to rule our tongue. David prayed, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Psalm 141:3).
Guard your heart
The enemy knows the immense power of our words, and while he does not have the power to destroy us, he is constantly at work trying to deceive each of us to self-destruct by our own words.
So guard your heart, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Proverbs 4:23; Luke 6:45). Do not let your words defile you. (Matthew 15:11).
Honour God, yourself and others
In these turbulent times when our faith is being greatly tested, be very careful to say only what God says. Let your words bless and not curse. Let them edify and not destroy.) “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Ephesians 4:29)
As a Chayil army, let us pray: may the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be well pleasing, acceptable and bring honour to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in all our conversations and musings. (Psalm 19:14; 71:8). Amen.
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About CHAYIL GLORY
CHAYIL glory is the all-powerful, great glory of God manifested in and through his believers in the earth. The CHAYIL GLORY blog is published every Monday with insights to understand and apply God’s perspective to everyday life.
