‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.’

Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the tongue has the power of life and death. The words we use have a tremendous impact on ourselves and those around us. We can use our words to bring encouragement, comfort, and healing, or we can use them to tear down, criticize, and hurt others. As Christians, we should strive to use our words for good and to build others up.

The apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in his letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 4:29, he instructs believers to only speak words that are good for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen. In Colossians 4:6, Paul urges us to let our conversations be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that we may know how to answer everyone.

The Bible teaches that our words reflect the condition of our hearts. If our hearts are filled with love, joy, peace, and goodness, our words will reflect these things. However, if our hearts are filled with anger, bitterness, jealousy, and hatred, our words will reflect these negative traits.

As believers, we must strive to use our words to build up others and to speak the truth, the truth of the gospel into their situations. We are admonished to avoid negative speech, gossip, and slander. Instead, we are encouraged to, bless, and uplift others with our words. Let us be mindful of the power of our words and use them to bring glory to God and to be a blessing to others.

Here are verses from the Apostle Paul that parallel the message of Proverbs 18:21:

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“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:6

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” – Ephesians 4:25

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32

All of these verses emphasize the importance of speaking in a way that builds up others, rather than tearing them down. They also emphasize the importance of speaking truthfully and avoiding falsehood, as well as avoiding bitterness, anger, and slander. By using our words in a positive and uplifting way, we can make a positive impact on those around us and bring glory to God.

Even more Bible verses that support this theme include Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 12:18, Matthew 12:36-37, James 3:5-6, James 1:26, Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29, 1 Peter 3:10, and Philippians 4:8.