“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21 CSB

“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29 CSB

“If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.”

James 1:26 CSB

I love playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends. We get together and play every week, and while we love playing, we really love being able to spend time together. Part of the game involves magic, and there is a spell that I think is really cool. There’s a spell called “Wither and Bloom” that allows you to attack an enemy and at the same time heal an ally. It’s a lot of fun in flavor with your character, but it stands out to me as a good visual representation of the power we hold with our words.

I’m sure over the course of your life, there have been moments that have stuck with you over time. Some may be words of encouragement or empowerment, where someone saw something in you that you never fully realized yourself. Some may ben words that have hurt you, cut to your heart, and as much as you try to forget, they have stuck with you. Words have power, and what we speak over one another can either heal or harm. The same is true with your own internal voice.

In a world where words are used far more frequently to harm others, use your words to heal those around you.

I remember the words of my middle school pastor that said I had a great purpose ahead of me, a high school teacher who reminded me that when I speak people listen, and I remember a college professor telling me I had a great heart. I hold tight to these words because they reflect the truth that God says about me, about all of us.

Their words of encouragement impacted me in key moments of my life, moments where I felt unseen, lesser than, and lonely. God made us with purpose and intention, and sometimes we need people around us to remind us of that truth.

Why wouldn’t you want to use your words to remind someone else of their intentional creation?

Words hold great power, so wield them with purpose, reminding others of their belonging to something greater.

There are also words that have stuck with me, and they are much harder to let go of. Words that have cut to my soul, some out of anger, some out of disappointment, and some not based in any truth. As much as I would love to let these go, there are moments that flash into my mind, that challenge me as I try to move forward or begin a new chapter in life.

Maybe you too, struggle with words that have been spoken over you, words that have deeply hurt and wounded your spirit. Words that you just can’t seem to forget.

So, what do we do?

We remind ourselves of the truth in Scripture, that the God who loves and created us, made a way in the wilderness, provided light in the darkness, and sent a savior to redeem us.

People are flawed and do flawed things, what has been spoken over you was not right, and if we look inwardly, we too, have spoken untrue things over others. Our words have power, so when the words that harm come into your mind, renew your mind with the truth of God’s redemptive love for you.

It’s important to realize that our own internal voice impacts us greatly. How we view ourselves will direct us, anyone that rides a motorcycle tells you, that where you look is where your bike begins to drift. Renew your mind daily, simply by trusting in who God says you are, if God cares about the birds, think of how much more He cares for you. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, so if we love our neighbors and hold ourselves hostage, we aren’t following that Scripture. We need to love ourselves, not excuse bad behavior, but love the divine design God has created all of us with and share that love with others.

Don’t let your negative self-talk impact the direction you will head.

I’m really hard on myself, maybe it is a result of negative words spoken over me from others, or maybe it’s just a cycle the enemy wants to trap me in, but I cannot allow outside words and internal words cloud my vision from the truth of what Scripture says about me. Our words hold tremendous value, so use them wisely. Don’t seek to destroy someone else’s self-image and worth with your words, that is not of Christ nor will it strengthen the kingdom.

Here’s some helpful reminders when it comes to our words:

• Never speak in anger, seeking to harm someone, even if they are in the wrong.
• See every interaction as an opportunity to heal someone’s spirit with your words.
• When your negative thoughts creep in, counter it with the truth Scripture says about you.
• Call out negative words spoken at you, you don’t have to give someone free-reign to attack your soul.
• Live like Jesus, build others up with your words and be rooted in the Father.

Words are magic, so use them to build up the kingdom. Speak life, truth, and love; never let your words spoken to others and yourself contradict the truth of who you have been created to be.

-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the social media he uses Tik Tok, Bluesky and Instagram