The Bible has a lot to say about the way we speak and the impact it can have on others. James 3:8-10 talks about the untamable tongue,

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

But what does the Bible say about how we SHOULD speak? There are plenty of good admonitions about positive words and manners of speaking. Let’s begin with a couple of excerpts from Proverbs 18,

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook…The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body…A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We should let wisdom flow out of our mouths but avoid gossip because that penetrates the heart deeply. Our words should bring life and health to the hearers, just like a piece of juicy fruit brings pleasure to the eater.

Ephesians 4:29 also encourages believers to,

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers…Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (loud quarreling), and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

I encourage you today to take an inventory of your speech. Have you spoken hurtful words to a friend or family member this week? Maybe it was spoken in jest, but it pierced their heart deeper than you realize. Do you have a bad habit of swearing or yelling when you get frustrated? That, too, should be corrected. Perhaps you tend to complain too much or speak pessimistically rather than optimistically. You should pray and ask your Father to heal your tongue so you can impart words that build up rather than tear down. Ask the Lord to give you instead “a word fitly spoken, like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

I pray that you will also relish a sweet, juicy word that will bring pleasure to your ears and heart today.

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