10/20/2026
There is power in our tongues...
Are we watching what we speak out or are we just letting words fly out of our mouths like bullets?
I have been thinking a lot about my responses and my words. This was triggered by my quick reactions at times that are most inconvenient.
In reading in James about the importance of listening instead of firing responses as quickly as possible, I was reminded not only of the importance of thinking before speaking, but also reminded about the power of our words.
Life and death can be spoken from our lips. Are we speaking life or are we speaking death?
There are lots of things going on in our world - politics, wars, family issues, divisions... are we adding to the chaos by throwing out attacks or are we praying about it? That is not to negate the need of communication and constructive criticism when needed, but it is a reminder to be sure our hearts are in the right place and that the words spoken are not out of selfish ambition!
"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20
"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
James 3:6
"From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:20-21
