The Power of Words

Words are powerful. With words, God created order out of nothing. With words, Jesus calmed the raging sea. With words, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The author of Hebrews tells us that the Son of God “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3, emphasis added). Since human beings are made in the image of God, our words hold great power as well. We may not be able to speak galaxies into existence, but our words are indeed powerful. Scripture tells us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). We know this power is real because each of us has felt the crushing blow of hurtful words as well as the uplifting boost of encouraging words.

What does it mean to speak death or to speak life? My daughter and I had to have this very conversation last night. We had both spoken hastily in ways that caused pain to each other. As we repented and forgave each other, we talked about the importance of life-giving speech. Paul commands us, “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” (Ephesians 4:29). In times of encouragement and praise as well as in times of correction and discipline, the end goal should be the building up of the other person. We speak life when our words are aimed toward that end.

One of my daughters loves to quote a line from Night at the Museum 2 when General Custer shouts, “We’re Americans. We don’t plan, we do!” She cracks me up every time she says it! While there is humor in that particular movie scene, there is also a sobering truth worth contemplating when it comes to our words. Are we taking the time to plan or think before we speak? Or do we simply spew at the mouth? Unfortunately, our fast-paced world does not have the patience to wait for thoughtful answers. Social media platforms and news media outlets demand instantaneous responses, and they seem to thrive on outrage. Gentleness and careful consideration do not sell or entertain. While such toxicity may keep us glued to our screens, it is desensitizing us to the needs of our neighbors.

James warns us that “the tongue is a fire” (James 3:6). As Scott Sauls discusses in his book A Gentle Answer, fire can be beneficial or harmful. He says, “Fire … has a lot of redeeming uses. It protects and warms us in the colder months, creates lovely ambience with a fireplace or a candle, and kills the destructive bacteria in our food. But if we don’t keep fire inside boundaries, if we let it run wild, then it has the potential to destroy an entire house, or a forest, or human life. Let fire rage and it will steal, kill, and destroy whatever and whomever lies in its path.” As a fire, the tongue has the power to do all of those things. It can speak life or speak death.

How can we commit to speak life instead of death? Matthew answers this question for us when he says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). We cannot simply decide to speak life. This tactic might work in the short term, but the true contents of our hearts can only be concealed for so long. In order for our mouths to speak life, our hearts must be full of life. We must examine our hearts daily to destroy the sin we find there. We must also be intentional about the influences we are allowing into our hearts. Input determines output. If my eyes, ears, and mind are constantly influenced by the things of this world, my words will overflow from a heart of worldliness. On the contrary, if I hide God’s Word in my heart, my words will speak life to a world in desperate need of love and grace.

Our tongues hold great power. Let’s use this great power wisely.