The Bible has much to say about our words, and I have long considered familiar with its teaching. But in today's reading I happened across Proverbs 18:20, which states, "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled." Specifically, this verse may be understood to teach that our words have a direct impact on whether or not we eat. As the man said, "T'was a revelation to me."
I have long appreciated the power of words. They are the revealers of the heart, and poorly chosen words are extremely destructive. But the Scriptures go even farther. Is it possible that our words are keeping us from experiencing success and fulfillment? Apparently so.
Think of the people you know who are struggling to find their way in life. Nothing seems to work for them. They fight and scrap to pay the bills, frequently relying on others for their very bread. Now consider their conversation. Are they talking themselves into a hole? Read their Facebook postings. Are they ungrateful, critical, judgmental, harsh? If so, they are living illustrations of the truth of Proverbs 18:20.
And as if verse 20 were not enough, God chose to reinforce the thought in verse 21. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." I always considered this verse to be talking about the effects of our words on others. Now I understand that is not the case, but it rather concerns the effects of our words on ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment