Poison or Fruit

"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love to talk will have to eat their own words." Proverbs 18:21

In the Message this verse is written as, "Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose."

In the bible, one can find several teachings about the blessings and the dangers of our words. And there is none stronger than this one. Proverbs 18:21 admonishes us that "life and death is the power of our tongue"; meaning our words can bring life or death. So with the words we use, we choose which one. This is a powerful revelation. And the sad part of this is often times, it is our loose talk and our unguarded words that cause the most damage and destruction. Sadly still, without us knowing about it. And this is why many preachers and teachers of the word and leaders of the church "kill" as much as they "save", just because they speak to so much people. And like sticks and stones, words do hurt or heal if guided by the Holy Spirit.

Today, as leaders, let us be more aware of the power of both our spoken and written word. Let us consciously choose life, new life even, and the abundant life as well. Let us give glory and worship Him who gave us this life, with our words. Shalom.