The Power Of The Spoken Word

Hello there 🤗

Before we start, I have a question, do you have that one book you’ve kept on your shelf for so long without reading? I do. The book I’m talking about is titled The Power of the Spoken Word by Kinyanjui Nganga. I’ve had this book for years (not sure the source) and recently decided to read it. This book was extremely useful and challenged me a lot!

Before sharing my learnings from the book, let me tell you a little about myself. I can be pretty talkative because I enjoy good company and incredible conversations about anything apart from football and politics 😊. Those who know me would probably say I’m an extrovert, but I’d like to believe I’m an ambivert. I love being around people but need quiet time to reenergize and catch up with myself.

Being outspoken is not a bad thing. However, we have to be careful about the words we speak. Among other things, our words can spread joy and encouragement, build up or tear down, unite or divide, bless or curse. This is why we need to pay careful attention to the words we speak.

What kind of impact do your words have? The Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).

I don’t know about you, but I have experienced some people getting really upset by something I said, even though I never intended to hurt or upset them. When they revealed how they felt, I apologized, but I knew I needed to give thought to my words not to produce the same fruit. The point I’m driving home is, before you speak, check the motive behind what you want to say, and do it with love (1 Corinthians 16:14).

The written word can be erased — not so with the spoken word.

God takes our words seriously; therefore, we need to watch what we say and how we say it. In Matthew 12:36, we read, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” Here are more verses about words.

• Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
• Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
• Proverbs 15:4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
• Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
• James 3:5-6 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
• Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Speak life not death!

Lord, teach us to tame our tongue and let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be pleasing in your sight. Amen.

God bless you.