Old Testament
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
Common Good
The Power of Words
Scripture References
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Matthew 12:33-37
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
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36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Thought for the Day
Proverbs tells us that words do not evaporate as quickly as we imagine. They fill a life like food fills a belly; they can satisfy, or they can sicken. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” it says. Not because speech is magic, but because speech shapes worlds: homes, friendships, streets, nations.
Lord Jesus, purify our hearts so our mouths may be healed. Teach us to speak with courage and gentleness, to listen before we answer, and to use words as instruments of life in a noisy world.
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Jesus presses the matter into the place we would rather avoid: accountability. The tree is known by its fruit; the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart. We will give account, he says, even for careless words. There is a weight to what we release into the air.
In public communication we are often tempted by speed, by wit, by the small thrill of being right in front of an audience. Yet the Christian is called to another kind of strength: speech that is clean, measured, and true. Not speech that flatters power, nor speech that feeds contempt, nor speech that turns neighbours into caricatures. Sometimes the most faithful word is the one we choose not to speak.
Prayer Points
Respond- Set a guard over our mouths, and make our speech truthful, restrained, and kind.
- Heal public discourse where contempt and mockery have become normal, and teach us better ways.
- Give wisdom to those who communicate publicly, that they resist manipulation and love the neighbour.
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- Comfort those harmed by careless words, slander, or online cruelty; give protection and healing.
- Form in the Church a habit of listening, repentance, and patient truth-telling.