Watch your tongue!

I think most would agree that the most potent weapon at a person's disposal is their tongue. The words that flow from your lips have a huge impact on those who listen to them. The spoken word can tear straight to the core of men to inflict pain, or can reach down into the depths of someone's emotions and lift them up. Wars have begun because of the spoken word.
What does the Holy Bible say about the tongue and the power it can unleash?

"The tongue has the power of life and death." (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)

"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 person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." (James 3:5-10 NIV)

You don't have to be a spiritual genius to recognize the truth of these passages. There is great power that can flow when the tongue is engaged.

God Himself created the world and everything in it with the spoken word. He called everything into being (Genesis 1.)

Judgement in the final days will also come by the spoken word (Revelations 19.)

The purpose of this study is to bring understanding to exactly what can happen when we unleash the power of the tongue. If Jesus Himself can raise Lazarus from the dead with the spoken word (John 11), we have to recognize that we can release that power as well.

Jesus, speaking about faith, said "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20 NIV)

As we already read, the tongue can release the power. Couple that with absolute faith in Christ, we can move mountains! I don't know about you, I would rather be on the receiving end of Godly words opposed to evil ones.

The next time you want to scream at someone, think about this. Let them hear God's Word and they can be changed as well as yourself.

"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." (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)