The Tongue of Life

The Tongue of Life
Dec 29, 2008
Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death..."

Your life has been influenced by the words of others. Whether you admit it or not, many people have spoken things to you in the past that dictate some of your thoughts and actions today. Those words can be attributed to some of your successes and failures, your insecurities and confidences. It is easy to remember those words so rashly spoken, you can quote them backwards and forwards. In fact, you do quote them over and over, in your mind. You will always remember the time when someone encouraged you and said you could do it. You will never forget the time someone called you a ....

We were all created in God's image and, like God, have the power to speak things into existence. In the opening lines of the Bible, God spoke the whole world into existence. He said, "Let there be light." There was light. Though we don't have the power to actually create light, we do have the power of life and death over another human being and ourselves through the strength of our tongues. Our words are very important and more powerful than anyone can imagine. I used to work with a man who would say to me, "saying it makes it so." He was declaring that if we said it could be done, then it would be done. This is true in regard to your words about others and what you say to them. You know this to be true by the words others have spoken to you and about you.

Though we cannot control the words other people say, we do have the power to decide how it will affect us. Even if someone says something we know to be false, playing it over and over again in our memories slowly makes it become true to us. We begin to believe it and even live our lives by it. We must decide what we are going to listen to and determine we are going to listen and believe only what God says is true. Once we start believing something, we begin to be changed and live our lives according to it.

We must use the Word of God and weigh everything that is said to us against what Scripture declares to be true. The Bible says we are to take every thought/idea a captive and make it obedient to Christ. This means if the Bible says it is not true, then we are to cast it out of our minds and never repeat it. Conversely, if what is said parallels Scripture, we are to play it over and over again, believing it and living our life by it. Below are a few powerful words that parallel Scripture well--you must decide to believe them and live your life by them.

You are loved and are loveable.
God has a call and purpose for your life.
You are an overcomer and are more than a conqueror.
God wants you to have abundant life here on this earth.
Satan wants you defeated, yet he is the only one actually defeated.

1. What words have you been listening to that are actually false?
2. Weigh those words against Scripture and determine not to listen.
3. What words from Scripture do you need to listen to and start believing?

Additional Scriptures for Study: Gen 1:3, Rom 8:28, Rom 8:37, 2 Cor 10:5, Philippians 4:8, James 1