“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” ~ Proverbs 18:21
REFERENCE:
A man’s words will satisfy his life in any area of life he so desires such satisfaction. Words are like seeds; they bear fruits after their kind. The law of seeds in Galatians also applies to words: “A man’s harvest in life will be solely determined by the seeds he has sown.” If he has sown the right ‘word-seeds’, he will have harvests that will bring pleasure and satisfaction to him.
Having revealed that a man’s stomach will be satisfied by his words in verse 20, Solomon went further to mention different scenarios where we can identify the place and power of words:
a. Death and Life: Solomon states that a man’s mouth can prolong or shorten his life. Surgeons are weary about operating on a patient who, while being wheeled in for surgery, says, “I don’t think I will make it out.” His words can sabotage the whole process and tie their hands. Your words will either activate the law of sin and death or that of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
b. He who finds a wife: Nobody ever gets a wife without using words. It takes words to ‘break the ice’ or get her to agree to marry you; it is words that are used to seal the union on the wedding day; the priest will ask, “Will you…” and you will say, “I will.” In the same way, it takes words to keep the marriage a blissful one. Only then will a man be satisfied with favor.
c. The poor man entreats: A poor man does not have the rich man’s outward advantages, making men naturally gravitate towards him to seek his wisdom or opinion. To be heard then, he would have to entreat graciously. He should not let his pride get in the way but instead focus on his objective so that upon achieving it, he can also be satisfied.
d. The friendly man: Friendships are forged and fed by words. I like to say, “You don’t talk to someone because you are close to them; you get close to someone because you talk to them.” He who wants to have friends must be friendly, meaning he needs to be skillful in opening and sustaining conversations. He will be satisfied with good friends.
You can see that words play a major role in all departments of life. If you want to live a fulfilled life, you must use your mouth to your advantage; yes, you will only be satisfied by words.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Ecclesiastes 9:14-17 and Luke 19:20-23
PRAYER:
+ Lord, help me to be skillful and wise in using my words.
+ May I always be mindful to speak words whose fruits I want to see in my life and family.
+ I declare that I am whole and well, blessed and highly favored, in Jesus’ name.
