The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 18:21 NLT
During a conversation with her mom, Laura expressed her frustration with appointments and doctors. The irritation she felt could be heard in the words she spoke. Instead of dropping the matter, she continued grumbling and complaining.
As she prepared dinner that evening, Laura thought about what she had said and then realized she had complained and grumbled for no reason. She realized her words might cause her mom some anxious moments and have a negative effect on her decisions. Laura regretted her hastily spoken words and critical attitude. She had grumbled when she should have let the situation pass. So, she called her mom and apologized. Her mom didn’t seem to be upset about their conversation, but Laura’s earlier words could not be changed.
Words are powerful and once spoken can never be erased. The words we speak affect other people for either good or bad and, according to the writer of Proverbs, can bring death or life. The apostle James tells us in his writings that the tongue can start a big fire if we aren’t careful. If we’re one of those people who loves to talk and we allow ourselves to criticize or complain, then we will reap unpleasant consequences. We should strive to speak life-giving words to those around us.
Father, use my tongue to speak words of life to others and bring glory to Your name.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2016 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Vickie Phelps.