Walk of Life, Day 18 – July 2020 – Thoughts from the Book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Once tongue and teeth had a conversation. Teeth told tongue,” if I bite you a bit harder, I can cut you.” Tongue replied,” if I talk something wrong or unacceptable, your entire family will be out of the mouth.”
Tongue is probably the most powerful organ as mentioned in the above verse as it has power over life and death:
Life – No one can create a living organism
Death – No one can stop someone from dying when the appointed time comes. However, both these are in the control of tongue.
Who controls the tongue?
Tongue is a voluntary muscle without which a person cannot talk. The control of tongue is in our mind. No one utters something until and unless they have thought about it in their mind. We find many people who just randomly pass some comment and then say, “I have not thought about it. It just slipped from my tongue.” “I am just kidding. I do not have any such thought in my mind.” How silly, is it not?
Many a times we find ourselves in a big trouble just for uttering a small word which could hurt the feelings of others. The damage caused by that idle word cannot be paid by even a million of “SORRYs”.
Remember our body is temple of Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19) There is no room for vain talk and idle conversations in the person within whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
I heard a man of God deliver a message few years back in a youth meeting. I was at home sick with chicken pox. I work in a school where few children have got chicken pox and I was repeatedly telling my parents that I might get chicken pox. Within few days, I got chicken pox and stayed at home for few weeks. During this period, I heard that speaker mention this verse- “tongue has the power of life and death.” This is a small example. I have seen many who have suffered for speaking vain and idle words. This does not mean that if I had not said that words, I would have not suffered with chicken pox. Whatever we speak we need to be careful about it. We shall eat the fruit of our words. If your words are sweet, life-giving, then your fruit is going to be sweet. If your words are bitter, life-taking, then your fruit is going to be hard to imagine.
Our speech should be seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). People who hearken unto our speech should want to listen to more. They should not get fed up and wait for our silence.
When we subject ourselves completely under the control of God then no part of our body dares to misbehave.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
I come to your presence this day subjecting myself to your authority. Remind me that my body is your temple. Let me not defile it by indulging myself in vain and idle conversations. In my every deed teach me to praise you and glorify your name. In the honorable, precious, and holy name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
