Life Or Death

In my last blog, I mentioned Proverbs 18:21 which says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." When you think about life and death, rarely you think about the power our words and conversations have not only on our own life but also on the lives of others. For me, this is my biggest struggle. I often times find myself in a position that could have been avoided had I thought a little longer on what I really wanted to say. I am quick and witty and can turn any joking conversation into jokes with daggers that hurt other people. I speak my mind and I don't filter my thoughts as often as I should. I cross lines and don't realize many times the impact my words have on other people because I'll cover them with the classic line, "I was only joking." In reality, I do joke a lot and I don't really mean a lot of what I say. I just hope people know that I am only joking around. But then God gave me Proverbs 26:18-19, "Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" Wow...there's that word death again. There's one way to joke and then there is a totally different way that is deceiving or disguising the truth. Those who joke in that kind of way might as well just be shooting people with flaming arrows. Our jokes can cut deep into someone without us even realizing it. This is such a convicting thought for me, lets take a good look at what Scripture says about our words...

Proverbs 4:24 "Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you."

Proverbs 6:12-14 "A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil"

Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."

Proverbs 10:9, 31 "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out"

Proverbs 21:23 "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity"

Matthew 12:34, 36 "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they will give an accounting for it in the day of judgment."

Matthew 15:11 "But what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Ephesians 5:4 "And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks."

Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

2 Timothy 2:16-17 "But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus." (…whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme – 1 Timothy 1:20)

James 1:26 "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless."

James 3:5-6, 8-10 "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

1 Peter 4:11 "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God."

There are many more verses in the Bible about our words. They are so important that they can give life or death to a person's day. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." You have two options: life or death; how will your words impact others? I hope this has challenged you as much as it has challenged me. Father, let my words be used to speak life rather than death...