Proverbs 18:20-21
From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied,
with the product of his lips is he satisfied.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
Words are dangerous things. With one wrong word you can start a chain reaction that could end your life. Seriously. Say the wrong thing to someone, and they’ll no longer be your friends. Say the wrong thing to someone else, they’ll kill you. Say the wrong thing to a person in power and they could destroy the world.
Every word that comes from you lips has potential to do good or to do harm. Every word. Sure there are words that are fruitless and pointless. Just as we have talked many times now, there are plenty of people who have a tendency to use too many words. And how it’s better to use fewer words and appear wise. Even if you’re not wise, if you don’t say too much, people will perceive you as such.
What we need to know is that we will live in the house our words create. Our lives will be encased within the walls or our words. The size of the house will depend on the kinds of words that come out of our mouths. If we build up and encourage, if we are wise in the way we use our words, then the walls of our house will extend to great distances. If we tear down and discourage, our walls will be close and claustrophobic.
So, what kind of house are you building? What kind of walls are you putting up today? Are you saying things that will encourage and lift up those around you? If you are, those that you encourage will bring others into the walls of your house so they too can be encouraged. If you’re doing the opposite, if you’re discouraging those around you, you will drive off even the closest in your house.
So, be careful with these little nuclear bomb-like things we call words. There is a lot that can be done or undone with them.
