Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “…..The power of death and life is in the tongue.”  And James  tells us that “…..The tongue no man can tame.”  Those are pretty strong words.   I think sometimes we don’t realize what power our words have.

     It’s funny how we remember things that are said to us.  I remember that my dad always said I was stupid, fat, and worthless.  It made me feel just that way.  I remember once my mother’s friend told me to “just shut up, because I had nothing worthwhile to say.”  That felt like a slap in  the face.  I never was able to speak freely around her again; not even as an adult.

     We need many, many words of encouragement to cancel one negative comment.  That is sad, but true.  It is far easier to believe the negative things.  Often we need to look hard to find something nice to say about an individual or situation, but my mother always said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”  I agree with that.

     Once the words leave our mouths, we can never take them back!  We might apologize for what we said, but we cannot erase it from the memory.  I heard it once compared to squeezing toothpaste from a tube.  Once that toothpaste is out, it’s impossible to get it back into the tube.  No matter how hard you try, it only makes a big mess and the toothpaste is still out of the tube.  Once our words are out of our mouth, we cannot put them back either.  Try it sometime.

    Let’s make a conscious effort to speak only words of encouragement and love to one another.  Even when we must correct someone, we should speak words of correction filtered through an attitude of love.  Our Lord has told us to speak the truth in love, and a soft answer turns away wrath.

     Let us choose to be instruments of life instead of death.  The world will be a better place if we do.  We will be happier people, if we do.  God will be pleased with us, if we do.  Those are good enough reasons for me.