Death and Life Are in the Power of the Tongue (Proverbs 18:21)

All right, welcome everybody. Glad you're all here today. We're sort of going to be everywhere. I don't know any other way to say that. Uh we're going to be so we're going to be talking about the tongue and and and and I joke, but we're going to be I'm going to cover a couple verses in James and I'm going to read a verse in Proverbs. And there's lots of places in the Bible that we that we talk about uh the tongue. So, let me let me first start in Proverbs, I guess. So, and then and then I'll come back to it. And so, we're in Proverbs, and it's uh Proverbs 18 and 21.

And it says, "Death and life from the power of the tongue, and those that live it shall eat the fruit of it." So, um if we if we go to James, uh and I'll come back and and tie this in. If we go to James chapter 3, if you want to read all about the power of the tongue, the entire chapter, that's James has devoted an entire chapter to the tongue in your mouth. So, not like a few verses, the entire chapter is all about your tongue and and the power that resides uh inside of that. And so, but I'm only going to two verses, three verses. Uh verse five says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but makes great boasts." And then if you go down to verse 10 and uh 11, it says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing." My brothers, this should not be can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring.

So there's just so many it's impossible to cover all this in in a couple minutes, but let me jump in. So let's go back to uh I'm spinning you guys around. Let's go back to Proverbs 18 and 21. And so death and life are in the power of the tongue. And so so what does that mean? That means that uh words are are are what he said. It's they're very powerful. I mean words to destroy and words to build up. You know, there might be something that you remember from 30 years ago that a coach said to you or your father said to you and that's how that's how powerful they are because they stay with you.

And whether that was good and it made you feel great or it was bad, it made you feel terrible. It those things stay. Uh the the mouth when you speak, it's like the internet. Once you put it out there, there's no there's no such thing as neutral. Whatever you say is either going to be building somebody up or tearing somebody down. You're going to find that there's no such thing as neutral. It doesn't really exist. There is no middle ground. You're either going to be encouraging somebody or discouraging somebody in what you say. And so that's what James is talking about here when he says that fresh water and salt water can't they should not flow from the same spring.

Um you you we should always be lifting someone up. We should always putting them in love. And then when when in in Proverbs the second part of that says that they that love it and that Hebrew word for love in there is Ahab. And what that means is drawn to um pulling you toward. That's the kind of love that it's talking about. And so really what Solomon is saying here is that the things that you talk about, those are the things that you speak life into. And if you're that negative person and you're continually talking about negative things, like every time you see the glass, it's half it's it's half empty as opposed to being half full.

Those that's where your mind goes. That's your attitude. That's what people around you are going to see. That's what you're that's the life that you're that you're breathing into other people as well, too. And so that's what that word is. And then and then when you read it in the Hebrew, it really says the hand of the tongue. So Solomon's really giving this mental picture that the tongue actually has hands that it can build. It can create things and it can either create has the option. It can either create good things or it can create bad things.

And and this isn't this isn't um it's it's not it's not eliminating cursing. It's not eliminating, you know, bad language. That's part of it as well, too. But that's not the only thing. Yes. You know, you we've all heard this that, you know, someone that just, you know, their their mouth is a a truck driver. It doesn't make them sound intelligent. It makes them sound less intelligent. Uh it doesn't add anything to the story. I can't, you know, there's oftentimes when you you hear somebody talking, you know, uh and and that, you know, they use it as a punctuation mark, a curse word.

It just doesn't do anything. It's it's not encouraging anybody. It's not lifting anybody up. But but that language is not necessarily what Solomon or James are talking about. What they're really talking about is is is what are you using it for? Are the words that are coming out of your mouth in any given situation used for building someone up or tearing somebody down? You can correct someone without tearing them down. You should correct someone without tearing them down. But oftentimes we let emotion jump in and then all of a sudden salt water is flowing from a freshwater spring.

And and this is not an easy thing. In fact, James goes on to say, who can tame the tongue? It's an evil thing. And and what he's saying is is that it's a very difficult thing for us uh to to to monitor, to correct, uh to watch over because it almost has a mind of its own. And so, but it's also one of the most crucial things in our walk is what our speech is and and what we're doing. And so, James James pays an entire chapter to this because it is important. It's not just what you say and how it impacts someone else. What you say has a direct relation to how you are impacted and the things that you say.

That's that Ahab love. It's what you're drawn to. If you're continually talking about positive, motivating things, you're going to magically you're going to I got I want to stop saying the word magically. There you go. Power of the tongue. You're going to supernaturally start to see your life change because that's what you're going to be drawn to. Those are the attitudes that you're going to have. That's the morning you're going to create for yourself when you wake up and all of a sudden you start speaking truth. You start speaking love. You start speaking kindness.

Very difficult for your day to go in any other direction. We use this in in in business. We use this in sales. We use the power of suggestion. We nod our head. we say yes. It's much easier to to have a a a potential customer say yes at the end if if we've if we've had them nodding their head the entire time. If they're saying yes 16 or 18 or 30 times throughout a a sales presentation, it's very easy for them at the end to give you the big yes because this is what they're doing. The mouth is literally speaking that. It's very difficult at the end for them to change this motion and this positive reinforcement, these yeses that are coming out into a pump the brakes, let me say no.

And that's how powerful the tongue can be in a in just a short period of time. And can you imagine the relationships that you have with people that are in and around you and what you say and how you say it over years, how that impacts someone. And so, uh, it's it's useful for both sides. It's useful for for for correcting yourself. It's useful for putting yourself in the right place in the right headsp space in the right time. And it's also very useful for those that are around you for building them up as opposed to tearing them down. And and it could literally just be one word.

And we have to be so careful about the words that we choose. Oftentimes you'll see uh pastors that are on stage and you'll see them pause and it's because they are they are wanting to say the right thing. They are wanting to use with with all sincerity the right words because they want to build up. They don't want to tear down. But sometimes from the stage they have to say things that are corrective. And again, the goal is to do that in love, not uh in tearing someone down as they do that. So, power of the tongue, life and death. That sounds pretty ominous, but it's real.

Your words have the ability to bring someone up and speak life into them as much as they have the ability to tear them down and crush their spirit. And so, we have to be very, very careful how we use our words. All right. So thoughts, comments, suggestions? Well, um, for the last few months, I try to eliminate all cuss words out of my vocabulary when I speak to anybody. Uh, I've been about cuss word free for about two and a half months. And when I do get around other other folks that say bad words and stuff that I don't really appreciate, and one of the words I hear is gosh dang all the time.

And I always make sure I tell the tell whoever said I said God don't need no damn he can walk on water. Right. And after that and most all my buddies that I talk to and say that don't say that in front of me anymore. So that's your message was great today. So appreciate it. Well good. And I'm glad you were just talking about that yesterday. Say that again. Who is that? iPhone Stephen the iPhone guy. I was with William yesterday and we was uh knocking on doors together and and uh we had this conversation and he brought that up that I I've been trying to really quit saying bad words and uh it's weird.

It's kind of weird how that that's the topic today. Yeah. So So William, what what is that how's that helped you? How what what is it like for you in your spirit because you you're eliminating that? It's it's my life has been a whole much better since I'm going tell you the truth since I started with US shingle coming on this devotion every morning. You know, I asked God to help me with my mouth, my heart, and my mind and he does and I feel a whole lot better especially if I don't have to say cuss words just to make communications with people. That's so good.

I love hearing that. Anybody else? I uh have my hardest time driving, but again, I still ask for forgiveness right after that 90 year old pulls in front of me. And I realize she's a 90 year old after I after I chose a few special words for her. God puts me in my place real quick. That's good. That's the Holy Spirit convicting you right then and there. That's awesome. Anybody else? I would just say that a wise man once said, "We live by the words we choose." And when you can put that into practice and realize that it speaks to exactly what Proverbs is saying.

Yeah. Anybody else? I was going to say this all sounds good on paper like I'm going to go control my tongue today and then emotions get in in there. Frustration, anger, and so those are the trigger points I just try to try to keep aware of. Yeah. And and you know I I started to I started to comment on William when he said I'm trying. And I'm like well in the in with the philosopher Yoda there is no try. There is only do or do not. Right. Um but but but this this is a I mean James says it. I mean it's an evil thing. It's very no who can tame the tongue.

He asks the question because this is like one of the most difficult things in the world. And so it's tough for me to come come out to William and Gold. Then don't try, just do, you know, because it is such a tough thing to do. And I've been where Clyde's at, right? Someone I I've I shared this on on I was just driving wife and kids in the car. I I was just driving normal and some guy rides up next to me and flips me the bird and instantly I went into I'm going to go track him down. Pick up the pace. I'm flying. I'm going to We're going to go have a conversation.

and my wife is yelling at me and the kids are in the back seat and they're their eyes are bugeyed and I finally realized I'm like, "What am I doing? Come on. Just just stop right now." No words came out of my mouth. Other than I was defending my position to my wife. I'm like, "I'm just going to go communicate." That's all I said. And and of course, that didn't happen. But but you're right, Adam. It's, you know, this is this is definitely one of those things where it looks good on the It looks good on the on the tapestry hanging on the wall, right?

It's it's easy to type that and write that and knit that. It's a whole another story to walk that out. And so that's William, I'm proud of you. I'm I'm I'm glad to hear that that's a that's a a focus and a goal for you because it it will change your life. The words choose. Yeah. I'm I'm That's exciting for me. All right, it's 9:30. Let's uh let's bow our heads and close our eyes. And if you're new on here, uh we don't do this on Fridays. I'm sorry. So, we'll see you back on Monday. If you show up tomorrow, you'll you'll get the hint real quick.

Power heads. Father, thank you so much for today and and uh and thank you for an entire chapter uh in the book of James is devoted to this thing that that that we used to speak with. Father, I just it's difficult. There's just no ways. There's no words to say just from William making the attempt and trying and Adam making the point that you know yeah on paper this sounds great but but this is something that's difficult. This takes this we can't do this in our if if there's ever anything that proves that it's not in our strength that we do something but in yours.

Father this is it. We need your strength to be able to tame this tongue. We need your ability to help us get to the point where we're speaking life, not death. And so, Father, I just pray that we would lean entirely into you when it comes to this subject and this this this part, Father, because it's all on you. Father, we just thank you for today. Watch over us this weekend. Guide us, direct us, give us an opportunity to continue to practice our speech, to to speak life into people. Make that a point. Maybe that's our goal is is is that's that's when we wake up in the morning and our the first thing we want to do is is is speak life into someone.

Start start our day off, Lord, in that positive direction using our tongue for good and for light, not for evil and for darkness. Father, we love you. We praise you and always in your son Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. All right, guys. We'll see you on Monday. Have a great Have a great weekend. Thank you. Have a blessed weekend everybody.

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly edited for readability.