Proverbs 13:3(ESV)
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
The ability to speak or use words is one of the greatest God gave us. The Lord, through the power of Words, created this world. It reveals what we can and are supposed to do with words. We are to speak words consistent with our nature and heritage in Christ. In other words. we can have a great life and enjoy our days in God’s blessings and goodness if we will use our tongues right. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” The truth is that our speech determines our reach in life. The way we talk determines the way we end. Words are powerful! So, how we use our mouths determines the outcome of every storm. Not realizing the power of the tongue, Christians have killed things that should be alive in their lives and resurrected what should be dead. Words can kill, and words can also heal. It is crucial to understand that words are prophecies, every time we speak, we are prophesying into our future. When we talk about death, we move the spirit of death into action, and when we talk about life, we prompt the quickening Spirit of God, the spirit of life, into action.
In life, if there is anything we must learn how to use, it is our tongue because it can build and it can destroy. It is because the world of the spirit does not operate on what we mean but run with what we say. James 3:6 says, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” Our tongue can change our present situation and future for the good or the worst. The words we speak would either bring down rain to water the seeds sown or establish a drought that will destroy the seeds. The enemy’s strategy is to put us under extreme pressure so that we say the wrong or defeatist things. In other words, the enemy is always looking for what we are saying to use against us. Many people have lost everything in life as a result of careless words. Some are reaping today what they said yesterday. And are somehow blaming others, saying all manner of things, forgetting tomorrow’s harvest is determined by what was said yesterday or what we are saying today. Many have ruined their great future by talking to the wrong persons or making their secrets public. Had Samson kept his mouth shut, the source of his strength would be secret, and he would not have been destroyed and ridiculed by the Philistines. Until Samson’s tongue gave him away, all the devil’s efforts were futile.
Beloved, watch your tongue, for it is crucial for your survival. It can shorten or prolong your days. Whatever is not your intention must never be your confession. Never speak of your condition but your conviction. Never forget the enemy is always looking for what you are saying to catch your words. Be careful what information you divulge to your enemies. Talk only when necessary. Stop abusing your tongue because the Bible describes it as a fire that can burn destructively if unguarded. Don’t speak of negativity and expect to see positivity. When failure is on your lips, don’t expect success or express frustration and hope to see satisfaction. Don’t run your life down or join anybody to run it down in your presence or absence with negative words. From today, use your tongue only for the beneficial purpose of praising God and lifting those within your sphere of influence. Ask God for wisdom to know what to say and what not to say. Be careful what you say, when you say it, how you say it, where you say it, and to whom you say it. Remember not to say anything when you are angry because many have used their mouth to kill themselves and others by saying so many unnecessary words.
O Lord, help me refrain from abusing my tongue and give me the wisdom to say the right words and end well in Jesus’ Name.