“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (King Solomon, Prov. 18:21, NKJV).
How often do you think about the words you use every day?
It’s easy to forget the inherent power of our words. We ignore their significance because they are common to us. We take them for granted the way fish take water for granted. We are used to speech patterns as simply being the way we communicate. We are full of, surrounded by, and constantly inundated with words, words, words.
Stepping back and seeing the weight and impact of our ingrained linguistic choices takes intentionality. However, when we are able to do that, we will begin to see that each of our little, carelessly thrown-around words actually carries the power of life and death. Until we start realizing our word choices carry enormous consequences, we will continue to underestimate how they work for us or against us.
What you say today will—not can, but will—do one of two things: either lead you down a path toward a more purposeful, abundant life or move you toward destruction. This may not mean physical destruction necessarily—though words definitely can be catalysts for health issues—but the destruction of relationships, careers, momentum, joy, peace, hope and contentment.
Words Are Gifts from God
The ability to use words at all is a gift that has been given to us by our Creator. As such, we have a responsibility to use our words well. God was the first One to harness the creative force of words—and He has entrusted us with the same ability to use words to create the world around us. The only acceptable response to the gift we’ve been given is to show respect to the Giver by using this gift well.
The Quality of Your Life Is Determined by the Quality of Your Words
The way you choose to communicate ultimately affects every area of your life. Words aren’t neutral. Every word that goes out has a consequence attached to it. How you speak to your friends, family members and coworkers determines the quality of those relationships. The same is true in your spiritual life. How well you communicate with God through prayer determines the quality of your connection with Him. Your internal dialogue with yourself will determine the quality of your actions and interactions each day. When you consider all these things together, it naturally follows that the quality of your very life is determined by the words you speak.
How would it look if you committed to choosing a tongue-pierced lifestyle? What if you began focusing on only using words that lead to life and build up others? The results would be nothing short of revolutionary.
You can be the catalyst. I invite you—I challenge you—to commit to transforming your life by changing the words you speak. Are you ready?
Commit to a tongue-pierced lifestyle by getting a copy of Tongue Pierced for $1! This is a practical guide for understanding the important role the tongue plays in everyday life and in your relationship with God. Visit RenegadePastors.com/DollarTongue to get your copy.
Nelson Searcy is the founding pastor of The Journey Church with locations across New York City, San Francisco, and Boca Raton, Florida. He personally has trained more than 50,000 church leaders as founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network.