There's Power in the Tongue

I could hear the shrill coming from the dentist’s drill as it headed straight for my mouth. Out of shear panic, I started waving my hand and attempted to cry out the first words to leap to my mind, yet my slurred speech and limited vocabulary only left me more frustrated. I began to tense up after realizing that I had absolutely no control over my lifeless, numb tongue.

My aching, throbbing mouth and taste buds craved for a sip of sweet tea and my growling, empty stomach yearned for a spoon of crunchy peanut butter with a sleeve of white chocolate covered Oreo cookies. For so long I had underestimated the true power of my tongue…..Death and life are in the power of the tongue… ~Proverbs 18:21

I ain’t gonna’ lie, I have never been a fan of the school-yard riddle, “Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I recall times in my life when words just about destroyed me. I have felt the sting from cruel words that left me paralyzed, feeling rejected and hopeless.

Yet at the same time, I shamefully admit that there have been times when I regretfully spewed out words from my tongue and wished that I could have taken them all back. Words said out of haste when I was filled with fear, frustrated, stressed out, hungry, or just plain tired. You see our words have the potential to harm or heal.

I want my words to speak LIFE. I want them to give hope, joy, to offer forgiveness, to share love. Lord, I pray today that you will refine my words and help me to speak life to anyone I come in contact with.