Proverbs 18:21 

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

James 3:5 

“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” If you look at today’s Scriptures, however, you have to conclude that old saying is just not true. Words can hurt big time. Unconvinced? Think about the damage that Hitler’s words did in WWII to Germany as they enflamed an entire country to follow him into sheer evil. Now think about the opposite effect – the impact of the words of Martin Luther, or Martin Luther King, Jr. No wonder Solomon wrote that our words have “the power of life and death.” 

That being said, how does God expect us to use our words? The answer to that question – God wants us to speak words of grace and words of healing. God wants us to speak words that build and inspire and lead people in healthy directions. Understand – that does not mean that all speech should be gentle, or soft, or warm. There is a place for harsh words of truth – a place to shout words of warning, words of rebuke, or words of correction. Our Lord certainly never shied away from saying the tough words. Intermingled in even His most difficult messages was a word of hope; a reminder of God’s love. 

Our words have the power to change lives – say what needs to be said, but don’t forget to include grace.

Who do you know that needs to hear a difficult truth right now?

How can you intermingle that difficult message with the hope of grace?