The Power In A Word

Scripture:
Proverbs 12:18 (NASB)

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

Proverbs 16:24 (NASB )

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 18:21 (NASB)

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

Matthew 15:18 (NASB)

But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

Colossians 3:8 (NASB)

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Devotional:

God spoke and the universe was formed.  It is through His words that He created everything, Genesis chapter one.  Several verses of the Bible talk about the power of just a word.  I once read a story where a wise old man told a younger man to take a feather pillow to the highest tower.  Once there he was to tear it open and scatter the feathers.  After doing this the young man returned to the older man.  It was then that the older man told the younger man to go and put every single feather back into the pillow.  As we all know this is an impossible task.  So are the words that come out of our mouths.  Once spoken, the words can never be taken back, damage done. 

This morning I had breakfast with someone from church.  He reminded me of the power in just a word.  In a word we can heal, or hurt, someone.  In our words stem our attitudes.  Are we in the habit of building people up, or tearing them down?  What are the words that you speak?  We have all heard the saying “It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”  Way too often I speak out and remove all doubt.  We have the power.  The next question is, how do we use that power?  Remember words are like time.  Once a second slips by it is past, done and gone.  You cannot take it back or redo it.  Once a word is spoken it is out.  You can never take it back or redo what was said, damage done.