When you are driving in your car and listening to the radio, it’s easy to think that it’s just harmless music. But you need to be careful. The message you are listening to either agrees with the spirit in you or doesn’t. In the same way, when you speak, you can either speak words that give life, or words that kill. If you yell at your children and call them dumb or stupid or worthless, then you are killing them with your words. 

Some people use their words like a machine gun. When they open their mouths to speak they start to shoot everyone around them. And the worst part is that many are those who make excuses for it, saying “I didn’t mean it, I was just upset”. Or saying things like, “he understands what I mean”. When in reality, those who they are killing with their words are being hurt by each word spoken. 

The scriptures say, 

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21

This means our words have power to literally give life or kill. Maybe they will not kill immediately, but they will kill a persons confidence, security, trust, hope, etc. That’s why a true servant of God is careful with their words. They are careful with the words they listen to and careful with the words they speak. 

No word is just “a word”. Every word you speak should have a purpose. It’s like many elders say, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”. This should be your motto when it comes to speaking and as well hearing others. If what they have to say doesn’t add to you, why listen to it? 

May the God of the Bible Bless You

Bishop Bira Fonseca