Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21 NKJV
I don’t know about you, but growing up, I heard my parents say this phrase to me a few times. It was often after I said something a little too jazzy or not quite copacetic. Sometimes it was met with a pop in the mouth, but I’ll be honest it was always warranted. Yet here I sit not as a kid anymore, but more and more I find myself telling me or someone I love dearly…“watch your mouth”. In adulthood it’s not for saying something flippant, but for not speaking life.
My friends who know me well will be the first to tell you I am real big on being positive. I once had a friend tell me I was too positive and it wasn’t realistic. Bless her heart! If you say something negative around me, I have the tendency to either rebuke it if it concerns me, or correct it – to change it for the positive – verbally. It’s a gift God has given me that I proudly use. You can say what you want, but I do not have to accept it or receive it. The world speaks negative all day everyday and I refuse to be a part of that destructive party.
In Proverbs, it tells us that this one tongue in our mouth has so much power. It can either speak life or death and the choice is ours. I know some have become so oblivious, they don’t even realize they are speaking negatively. Others become offensive when you change their negative words to positive. But I have decided to choose life. So any and everything that does not line up with life and life more abundantly must be eradicated. If you think about this scripture, we have a pretty big choice. We are not robots and God gave us free will. So if life and death options stand before you – why wouldn’t you choose life – unless you really don’t realize when you choose negativity you choose death. When opportunities, relationships, life, health, love, dreams and goals stand before you, you have the option of how you’re going to receive them, how you’re going to see them and how you will respond. I urge you, and even beg of you – choose life. Practice it until it becomes second nature. Watch what you are declaring and speaking and subconsciously telling yourself. It may be a fact that no one in your family ever went to college, but declare the truth, that was until you decided to go and finish. Stop saying you can’t find a job, declare that you are moments away from the job God has ordained for you. Stop saying no one loves you – God loves you and will send the love of a lifetime when the time is right. Stop saying you hate your life – some people would love to have your life and as long as you are alive things can change. Change your confession and watch your mouth and then watch your life change before your eyes. Life changes when your perspective changes. You may still be in the same situation, but when you choose to speak life to that thing…believe me, it changes you. I know I keep saying it, but I want you to get it in your head and heart and live it in your life. When something negative is on the tip of your tongue I want you to hear this scripture and tell yourself to watch your mouth. It’s a gift to be able to think and speak and respond to this brilliant life. I just ask that you be vigilant with those gifts and don’t squander them away by choosing death with your words. Proverbs is clear when it says that life and death is in the power of the tongue and I want you to choose life my friend. Choose life every time. Even if you mess up and say something negative, reverse that thing and declare something positive.
Just like really fit and healthy folks watch what goes in their mouths, we as Christians need to watch what comes out of ours. Is it uplifting? Is it life-giving? Is it positive and affirming? Then speak it – shout it from the mountain tops. But if it’s degrading and negative and mean and destructive and averse, shut it down – watch your mouth.
And one more thing while we’re talking. When you are on social media and reading people’s posts, be careful of what you read. Often time people are writing in the first person “I” and when you read it, it’s as if you are declaring what they are saying over yourself – watch your mouth. I now read post automatically in third person “She had a bad day and is sad.” “He is sick and doesn’t feel well”. I’m not reading the “I” in that and declaring it over my life – and neither should you. I know people are joking, but when they type “they are dead” to a joke – NO – you are alive. It can be said so innocently, but that is a trick of the enemy. Watch your mouth. You may think I’m a bit extreme, but just watch yourself for a week. Watch what you’re saying, watch what you’re reading and see if you are hearing and speaking life or death and then you adjust as you feel necessary.
I’ll end it with Proverbs 18:21 in the Message version – I don’t think it gets any clearer than this…
Watch your mouth and choose life!
Have a beautiful day my friend…full of life and life more abundantly!
This morning Facebook took me back to a wonderful memory. It was when I planted my first garden in 2009. It showed me a picture I had posted and right below it were words from my beloved Mother. Word spoken eight years ago rang every so true and in perfect time for me today. You see I am working on a project. At first I was super excited about it. The more I dove into it the more it fascinated me and elated me. Then I realized the schedule I would have to create and keep and that thing overwhelmed me. I slowed down the process. Working on it, but slowly. I missed a personal deadline and then I just stopped. It’s on my heart and mind daily and I know it’s a God idea, so I have to finish it. So this morning as I was getting ready of course it came back to my remembrance and I said, ok. I will do it. It’s hard work, I’m afraid, I don’t know how it will be received, but God…I’m going to do it. Then I saw this post. My mom was referring to my garden at that moment…but years later she is encouraging me in a God assignment.
Lady AEA 