Speak Life

  I know you've all seen The World's Strongest Man competitions, and have marveled at the size of their muscles and their brute strength, but I can show you a muscle that is far more powerful than any muscle in the body. That muscle is located in your mouth. Yes, the tongue is the strongest muscle known to man. In Proverbs 18:21 it says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. We wield the world's strongest power inside our mouths. As the old saying goes; "With great power comes great responsibility." We have the choice to either lift someone up, or utterly destroy them. In Ephesians 4:29 it says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification (building up), that it may impart grace to the hearer." It goes on to say in verses 31 and 32 to let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice (desire to cause pain), and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, in Christ forgave you. In this day and time there is far too much pain and sadness in the world. We have seen enough of this. What this world needs now, more than ever are more people speaking life, love and forgiveness. Proverbs 16:24 says that pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul, and health to the bones.

  On the flip side of this coin are the harsh words that one can speak to another. Proverbs 18:19 says that a brother offended is harder to win than a walled city, and contentions (anger or disagreement) are like the bars of a castle. Sometimes in the heat of anger, we can say something so harsh that it cuts to the core. Sometimes the harsh words that someone speaks to you can leave you behind the bars of a prison cell inside your mind. I know speaking from personal experience some of the words spoken to me 30 years ago. They still echo inside my mind. Words can hurt far more than physical pain. James 1:19 says let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. God is love, and he wants us to show the love that He has for us. 

  In closing ,I want to bring you two more verses from the book of Colossians. Verses 5 and 6 in chapter 4 say to walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt (not saltiness) that you may know how you ought to answer one another. Today, I am encouraging you to think before you speak, and to always speak in love. Words can either hurt or heal. The choice is up to you. Have a God day.