Whether they are praising or complaining, a lot of people do not stop to think about the true impact of their words. Did you know that how we speak can be a life-or-death scenario? Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We must pay attention to whether we are speaking life over a person or situation, or speaking death.
In Luke 1, we read that Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous before God. Despite this, Zechariah fell into unbelief when an angel told him that his wife was going to have a child. So, God temporarily muted him. God was protecting Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist, from his own father's unbelief. John the Baptist's purpose and destiny were so important that God did not want to let the power of a priest's words cause a baby to be aborted.
It is important for each of us to avoid speaking negatively, because our words can be powerful. You may say things like, “My church is never going to grow,” “My kid’s never going to amount to anything,” or “My marriage is never going to get any better.” Repent of those kinds of statements and start speaking life. Some people ask God to anoint their prayers, then speak words that contradict God’s will. They’re perpetuating a cycle of defeat and loss because they don't believe God wants the best for them. Our words can force God to restrict us for our own good, to protect us and others.
Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” God's thoughts became words that created worlds. Because we are made in the image and likeness of God, there is also power in our words.
Paul said we are washed by the water of the Word (see Ephesians 5:26). If God's Word spoken to us and taught to us can purify us, what can our unsanctified words do to ourselves and others? Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (see Matthew 12:33-35). If that is the case, what can happen if the abundance in your heart changes from criticism to praise, from gossip to intercession, or from death to life?
James 1:26 says, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” Your spiritual maturity is measured by your ability to bridle your tongue. Unbridled, unsanctified tongues have caused division, loss of faith, and heartbreak in many families, churches, and businesses.
Paul writes in Galatians 5:14-15, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” He’s writing this as a warning to the early church, and it is still relevant today. I am telling you, by the word of the Lord, the demon of cannibalism is trying to infiltrate the Western church and cause us to bite and devour one another. Sheep bites hurt! It’s great to check your words, but also check your heart. If you get your heart in check, your mouth will naturally follow.
Matthew 15:11 says, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” That's why if you ever get involved in a gossip conversation, you may end up feeling dirty afterward. Whenever we judge or criticize someone else, it is from a place of self-righteousness and pride. I say this in love: We cannot sow seeds of discontentment, suspicion, division, and criticism in our church family or in the body of Christ and expect to reap a harvest of revival and reformation.
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” When you speak, you are imparting something. Make sure it's grace. And be careful what you listen to, because when others speak, they may be imparting something to you, but it may not be grace. In Mark 4, we read about Jesus speaking peace to the storm. How could Jesus do this? Because the storm wasn't in Him like it was in the disciples. He had peace, so He could speak peace. You can't give to an atmosphere what you don't already possess.
Revelation 12:10 says, “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’” Are you ready for that “now” moment? When the accuser of the brethren—the devil—is finally put down, then the power of our God and of His Christ will fully come. In the meantime, we can fight the accuser by making sure we are not causing destruction with our words.
