Words are not neutral. They carry creative and destructive power. With a sentence we can crush a spirit – or restore one. We can divide relationships – or reconcile them. The words we speak are the reflection of our heart. Jesus said, “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). Jesus reminds us that life-giving speech comes from a heart rightly directed. A sanctified (set apart) heart produces sanctified speech. When God’s grace transforms us, it transforms us from the inside out. We speak life because we have been given new life. Destructive speech is a sign of an untransformed heart.

In Proverbs 18 we are invited to daily surrender our speech to the Lord. Before we speak, we might ask: Is this life-giving? Is it true? Is it loving? A Spirit-governed tongue becomes and instrument of grace, reflecting the One who is himself the Word of Life.

1. Take a moment to examine your speech over the last few days. Have your words been life-giving?

2. Who is someone in your life who exemplifies life-giving speech? What can you learn from them?