Proverbs__18

Scripture

Proverbs 18: 21

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Observation

King Solomon continues his words of wisdom with highlighting the power of tongue. He speaks about knowledge and wisdom and tandem, however in talking about the tongue he gives practical ways to exercise both of these characteristics.

 

Understanding

You ever said something and then immediately regretted it? My dad says “well that didn’t go the way I thought” is going to be on his tombstone, but my mine will say “oops, didn’t mean it like that.” When we can just quickly apologize and move on, we don’t really hold ourselves to that high of a standard with our words. Because we convince ourselves that the issue is easily fixable, but in reality our words have the power of life and death as King Solomon points out. Think about it this way: if you said something to someone, that as its coming out you know you’ll regret, and then they keel over and die upon hearing it, you would most definitely watch your tongue.

I have been learning this process the difficult way in my workplace. What I say to one person is then disseminated to several other unintended ears and I then have to be held accountable for what I say (good or bad). So I recently have been speaking life to my workplace and my coworkers, I imagine I am giving them a boost of energy or happiness rather than them keeling over. Although small, our tongues have the power to alter the course of our destiny. In the right context this can transform people, neighborhoods, communities, cities, countries, and even the world. The tongue yields the most powerful and dangerous tool known to mankind: words. I implore youth consider this: do you use your words to kill or give life?

 

Life Application

The best place to start in filling your with life-giving words is actually knowing life-giving words. That begins with reading encouragement daily, and that begins in God’s Word. I also want to challenge you guys to speak life over places that you detest or don’t like at the moment, you’ll be surprised how your outcomes and outlooks shift when your words do.

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to respond to everyone.

Let’s be life-givers this week!

-Allison Khan