Proverbs 18:21, "The tongue has the power of life and death."

Think

A Matter of Life and Death When you think of life and death matters, does your mind race to what comes out of your mouth? In today's scripture, God lets us know that words have a very powerful impact on the lives of others. Words can build up or tear down. Words can cause hurt and harm or bring help and hope. Our ultimate goal is to be like Jesus. He was a master at the spoken word. Whether it was a woman at a well, a crowd on a mountain or disciples alongside a beach, he always knew just the right thing to say. In the fourth gospel, John even calls him "The Word" when he said: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Pause for a moment before the next time you speak and remember that we can be more like Jesus when we speak words of encouragement and love to others. That's because each syllable has a powerful impact. It's all in the wording because what we say is a matter of life and death.

Act

Put this into practice immediately by speaking words of encouragement to anyone and everyone you come in contact with today. Bringing help and hope to someone else not only makes them smile; it also promises to bring applause from heaven.

Pray

God, help me to watch what I say and to always work hard at bringing life-changing words to everyone you place within my influence. Thank you for revealing convicting scriptures like I am reading today. I'm so grateful that Jesus did come down from heaven to earth so that I could learn how to live as I observe how he lived. In Jesus' name, Amen.