Do your words really matter? This week on the Everyday Faith Podcast, we heard from Jody Hill on just how powerful our words really are and what the Bible actually says about the power of your words. Jody is the author of The Parent’s Secret Superpower: 7 Simple Strategies to Raise Confident & Capable Kids With the Power of Your Words. During this episode, Jody shares hope, wisdom, and stories of why your words are your superpower in life.
Are Life & Death in the Power of the Tongue?
The Book of Proverbs is about 3,000 years old, carrying ancient wisdom and insight on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. One of the most famous Proverbs comes from Proverbs 18:21, which reads:
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
– Proverbs 18:21
Because the Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue, as Christians, we should be very careful about what we say towards ourselves and others. Jesus also confirms the idea that life and death are in the power of the tongue in the Gospel of Mark:
Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
– Mark 11:23
So, now that you’ve read some of the Bible verses that show us life and death are in the power of the tongue, let’s look at how Christians can use their words to declare identity, hope, and faith over themselves and others.
Discover more about what Jesus accomplished and how you can be born again today: This Is For You!
Why Your Words Are Your Superpower
As we see in Proverbs 18:21, your words will carry life or death, and the words you speak can be your superpower or your kryptonite. For example, say you were a teacher who worked in a daycare, and you have a child who is pushing, biting, and bothering other kids in the classroom. You could say, “Oh, he’s just a bully.” By doing so, you are actually speaking the identity of bully over that child and creating an environment for mean behavior to grow.
However, you could speak identity over the child who is misbehaving: “You have gentle hands, and they’re made for kindness, not for hurting others.” While you may not see the transformation in that child right away, you will see them becoming what you believe about them over time.
No matter what you’re facing in life, work, or your relationships, changing your perspective on your words and what you’re speaking over your current circumstances can change everything. Again, your words are so powerful that they can serve you like a superpower or become your kryptonite.
Want to boost your faith? Learn about God’s promises over you: Bible Verses on God’s Promises For You
Speaking Life Over Your Situation
Now that you know that life and death are in the power of the tongue and that your words can either be your superpower or your kryptonite, here are some simple steps to speak words of hope over your life:
Speak the Bible over your life: The Bible is God’s word, and it is living, active, and no word from God ever returns void (Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11). The Bible has words of life for you if you’re experiencing anxiety, when you feel far from God, or even when you’re facing financial stress. Rather than just reading these Bible verses for encouragement, it’s powerful to go a step further and speak them out loud. Praying in your mind is a great way to connect with God, but speaking the Bible over your life is a great way to renew your mind on the truth of the Word and speak to situations to see God’s breakthrough.
Be careful what you listen to: Another way to speak life over your situation and see the fruit of life being in the power of your tongue is to be intentional about what you listen to and who you listen to. If you’re listening to music that evokes feelings of sadness, you’re renewing your mind with words of hopelessness and depression. If you’re listening to true-crime podcasts, you’re renewing your mind with stories of death, horror, and fear. If you’re listening to audiobooks that are highly sexual or full of profanity, you’re renewing your mind with lust and foul language.
However, if you’re listening to worship music, you’re renewing your mind with the Bible and sung prayers that speak life over your situation. If you’re listening to the Everyday Faith podcast, you’re renewing your mind with real-life stories of people encountering Jesus and telling others about Him. If you’re listening to audiobooks about God, Heaven, and answered prayers, you’re renewing your mind to expect good things. And as Jody Hill said during our interview, “Whatever you believe about yourself affects your thoughts, which affects your words, which affects your actions.”
A great starting place for renewing your mind and understanding the power of your words, listen to the song “I Speak Jesus” by Charity Gayle:
Conclusion
The Bible is very clear that life and death are in the power of the tongue. When you make the conscious choice to be careful with your words and choose to speak life instead of death, you will eat the fruit of what you’ve planted with your words. Through speaking the Bible over your life, choosing to let your words be your superpower rather than your kryptonite, and being intentional with what you listen to, you’ll find your thought life and speech coming into alignment with the word of God. God has promised to work all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and your belief in this promise will increase as you speak God’s word over your life!
For more tools on how to trust God, build your faith, and anchor yourself in belief in Jesus, head to the Everyday Faith Podcast on YouTube.
