Our Powerful Voice

"The tongue has the power of life and death."
Proverbs 18:21

Our words have great power. Just recently I said something dumb. I was trying to be funny and said something that was actually really hurtful. I had never intended it to be hurtful. The thing with words is, once they are said you can’t take them back. It’s like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube, the only thing you succeed in doing is making more of a mess. I did the only thing I could do, I apologised, made no excuses, asked for forgiveness and tried as best I could to communicate that I meant no harm.
 
Words have tremendous power to build up or to tear down. I am sure you can still recall word for word things people have said to you decades ago, because they have either been extremely hurtful or extremely encouraging.
 
As followers of Jesus we must use our words to build up, to encourage and to bring life to people. Unfortunately, this will not always be the case. We get tired, we get frustrated, we get lazy, we try to impress….we try to be funny, and things come out of our mouths that are hurtful, that tear down and that bring discouragement and possibly condemnation.
 
These instances are opportunities for us to look deeper into our hearts. Jesus says in Matthew 15:18 that the things that come out of one’s mouth originate in the heart. So when we find ourselves saying things that we know are not life giving and encouraging we must use it as an opportunity to go deeper. To look at what is going on for us internally that results in discouraging words.
 
Are there some people you may need to seek forgiveness from today because of what you have said to or about them?
Are there people God is calling you to encourage today?

-Joel Noonan-
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