Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue…Choose LIFE!
“The words you consistently select will shape your destiny” — Anthony Robbins
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it. Amplified Version
YOUR WORDS BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION
I am not a builder, but I do believe if you are building a house, you need a firm foundation. If the foundation is weak, cracked, or made with cheap products, the final result will be the collapsing of your house. I remember as a child my family built a new home in a new subdivision. We later found out the builder built the homes with a shoddy foundation. Our first rainfall in our new home showed us that the foundation had a crack in it and water started to flow into the basement. When the foundation was tested, it showed its weakness.
YOUR WORDS ARE CONTAINERS
I have heard it said our words are containers…. containers of life and death, gossip or praise, truth or lies, containers to build up or tear down. Containers hold and transport. A bottle or box is an example of a container … which in turn is used to transport the items inside. Your word containers hold empowering or disempowering words that transport to yourself, to others and to your situation(s). Your WORDS hang around long after you have left the room!
The words we speak are the containers that delivers the intent or motive to the ears of you and to others and then those words get into the soul (where your feelings, perception and thinking reside). Science has shown our deepest needs are to feel connected to others, feel loved, respected, valued, seen and heard. Words can either create those feelings or create the opposite. When we understand the power of our words and how we can choose what we want to think and speak, our lives will be transformed. Who doesn’t want to be transformed!
“Words are things, I’m convinced. You must be careful about the words you use or the words you allow to be used in your house. In the Old Testament, we are told in Genesis that “in the beginning was the Word” and the Word was God, and the Word was with God. Someday we’ll be able to measure the power of words. I think they are things; I think they get on the walls; they get in your wall paper, they get in your rugs, in your upholstery and your clothes, and finally into you.” —Maya Angelou
James 3:1-6 - “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire… it corrupts the whole body…”
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This scripture captures how a small or a perceived insignificant thing has a HUGE impact. Our tongue is small compared to the body AND it is an enormously powerful tool. This is why it is so important to understand the power it holds for us. If you lit a piece of dynamite… it would not take long to see the powerful force that little piece of dynamite has contained within it.
When I was laid off during the Covid-19 pandemic, I knew I had a choice each day when I woke up…I could speak “I don’t want to face the rejection of employers today” or “this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” I chose the latter! This choice made it easier to handle the rejections of each day.
WHEN NOT TO USE YOUR WORDS
When you are upset or angry.
When you have not heard both sides of the story (rush to judgment).
When your feelings of insecurity/inadequacy are triggered.
When you receive bad news.
When someone points their finger at you.
When you should be listening.
When we understand the power of our words and how we have a daily choice to choose what we want to think and to speak, our lives will be transformed. Who doesn’t want that?
LIFE COACHING MOMENT: Every time you speak, you empower someone or something. You get to decide every day how you want to use your words and distribute the power of those words. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Baloney, right? Let’s decide NOW if we want to empower good or empower evil.
If you enjoyed this blog, check out my blog “Abracadabra: Your Words Create Your Tomorrow” where I share more insight on this powerful topic of WORDS.
