Devotional: Your Words Have Power
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21
Upon first glace with this Scripture, it might seem confusing. Eating the fruit from a tongue?
When the word “tongue” is used in the Bible, it typically means “the words we speak.” This Scripture is conveying the power that our words have — they can produce joy and comfort (life) or produce destruction and fear (death). People who love to talk will face the consequences of what they say, whether good or bad (they will eat its fruit).
Is our speech actually that powerful?
If God brought forth the existence of our universe by speaking, there is certainly power that comes from how we speak to one another.
We can be changed in an instant by just one thing that someone tells us.
We never forget the words spoken by the people we look up to.
We form first impressions based on how a person spoke to us.
Think about all of the destruction that comes from negative speech, but also think of all the strength that comes from positive speech.
What is speech that bears bad fruit?
Lying
The Lord detests lying and it is included in the Ten Commandments. He hates lies because He is the Truth, but Satan is the father of lies. Satan wants deception to run deep, and it starts with one small twisting of the truth.
Proverbs 26:28 says, “A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” If truth and love belong together, then lies and hate belong together. If you love someone, you will tell them the truth to prevent further ruin in their life.
One little lie can cause a domino effect of destruction in our lives and the people’s around us. Ultimately, the liar will bear the fruit from their lies, which is untrustworthiness.
Gossip and Slander
Proverbs 11:13 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” Where does the temptation to gossip and talk behind people’s backs stem from? People typically gossip because it makes them feel better about themselves. The enemy also wants to cause anger and division which is the exact fruit that gossip produces. It produces untrustworthiness and division among one another.
Boasting
Psalm 94:4 says, “They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.” Boasting about yourself reveals your heart. It shows lack of humility and an abundance of pride. Not only does it disrespect God (being the only One who should receive credit for any good thing), but it disrespects the people around you. Arrogance makes people feel insignificant, which bears the fruit of repelled relationships. Additionally, Proverbs 16:18 reminds us that haughtiness leads to downfall.
Anger and Hate
Proverbs 15:4 says, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Countless people have endured verbal abuse and suffer from resulting brokenness. Spewing hateful speech in anger can be one of the most damaging ways to use our words. Even if it is just one careless comment, it can be carried inside of that person for the rest of their life. The fruit of angry speech is broken relationships, pain carried within the person spoken to, untrustworthiness, and I’m sure much more.
What is speech that bears good fruit?
Confession
Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The fruit of confession literally brings forth life! By confessing our belief in Jesus, we have eternal life with Him.
James 5:16 also says to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” Another fruit of confession is healing. When we verbally admit the wrong we have done, we can start to move forward and be healed from the damage we have experienced and caused.
Honesty
Proverbs 24:26 says, “Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.” The author means that metaphorically— a kiss is something sweet and caring. Being honest is caring for the person you speak to. The fruit of truthfulness is a faithful friendship, trustworthiness, and gratitude. Click here to read our devotional about being honest.
Encouragement
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
As opposed to slander and gossip, God’s choice for us is to encourage and build up one another. Instead of dividing, positive speech about others and to others produces the fruit of a stronger bond and deeper friendship. It shows the character of who you are — someone who is trustworthy and desires the best for others.
Just as much as hurtful words cause wounds, encouraging words can be medicine to someone’s spirit.
Calmness
The Lord’s remedy to the power of our words is said in James 1:19 — “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” In order to control our tongue, especially in moments of frustration, we need to slow down. We must listen first and take our time to answer, so that we are not responding in our anger.
Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The fruit of being calm will de-escalate the situation and avoid much unnecessary pain and hurt.
Take a moment: Evaluate your speech.
1.Think about the list of ways that speech bears bad fruit.
Have you engaged in speaking in one of those ways lately? Maybe you let anger get the best of you when you started venting about how someone offended you. Maybe you lied to your co-workers in order to avoid a confrontation.
How can you fix that wrong?
2. Now think about the list of speech that bears good fruit.
Have you used your speech in any of those ways lately? Maybe you encouraged someone when they were upset. Maybe you gave honest advice to a friend in need.
Where can you add more beneficial speech into your life?
3. Lastly, we all have a weak spot with our speech. Which of the four areas do you struggle with the most?
It could be lying, gossiping, boasting, negativity, yelling in anger, or something else.
How can you realistically replace that temptation with life-producing speech instead?
For example, if you are tempted to gossip, speak kind words about that person instead. If you are tempted to yell in anger, pause to pray so you can be calm and return with an answer later.
Controlling our tongue is not an easy task. In James 3, he talks about small it is, yet how much damage it can do. This is why we must lean on the Holy Spirit’s power within us.
It requires us to live by faith and not rely on our own strength.
-Alina