Imagine a weapon so powerful that it destroys billions of life with touching them directly, or powerful that it effects generations without seeing them. This weapon has the potential to literally bring anguish into the life of every human being on the planet … but without necessarily destroying them physically. This weapon could however, produce scars that last a lifetime … scars that may never heal properly. This weapon is available to the poorest as well as the richest of nations … in fact, even individuals have access to this weapon … there are few laws against the possession or use of this weapon. No weapon that now exists, or will exist, will have the deadly potential of this ancient weapon … it is as old as man himself … the weapon is THE TONGUE!
Proverbs 18:21 says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. What does it mean by “in the power of the tongue?”
This Scripture isn’t the only place we see life and death being in the power of the tongue. In fact, its connection to the issue of life and death is found throughout Scripture. This means it would be wise to understand the power of the tongue.
The Book of James tells us that “the tongue is a small part of the body” (James 3:5). But it goes on to talk about the tongue as if it has a personality, not like a physical part of the body. The key takeaway about the tongue is the words it produces. So, let’s look at Proverbs 18:21 like that.
Life and death are in the power of the words the tongue produces.
There are two things going on there. There are words, and there is a production of them.
We know what words are but how are they produced? Those words come from the heart before they land on a person’s tongue. So, now let’s look at the verse that way.
Life and death are in the power of the spoken words that come out of the heart.
In the book of Genesis we see how God Himself used the power of His tongue to create the world. God used the power for good to create life. And also to wipe the whole world during the time of Noah creating death because of their sinful nature.
Many humans have grown in fear, many have committed suicide, many with low self esteem because of the use of power by others on them.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness (James 3:9).
When the Bible is talking about the power in the tongue, it’s talking about the words we say.
The Bible teaches us that our tongue has great power … to heal or to destroy, to bless or to curse … we are to be wise in the use of this member of our body … it can bring pain or pleasure … it’s all in how it is used!
Prov 12:14: “From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.”
What do you use your power for? To create life in the life of others and yourself? Or to destroy and cause grieve?
