Our WORDS tend to be the thing that gets us into trouble more than any other thing in our lives. Our WORDS have tremendous consequence don’t they?

Words can be our greatest source of inspiration… our greatest means of motivation… and our most effective tool in reconciliation. They are one of many different expressions of our worship. And yet words can also be the most destructive area of our lives.

James, in essence, says that if we can change our words – we can change our lives.

“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life…” James 3:2-6

Most everything in our society is dictated by CULTURE, including our lives.

Every society, church, community, business, and people group has a “culture”. That culture is a conglomerate comprised of the collective culture of all its individuals. Companies succeed or fail based on the culture their leaders and employees cultivate. Presidents are elected or ousted due to political cultures and ideological climates that loom over the nation. Marriages rise or fall due to the kind of culture that is created in the home (Respect vs. Disrespect). Children grow up either socially functional or dysfunctional based upon the culture they are raised in. Churches either grow or die as a result of the culture they have fostered. Everything hinges on culture, and cultures dictate the course of society and the world at large.

Think about this: your words create a CULTURE that dictates the course of your life, and promotes a culture of either death or life for those around you. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

What is your culture?

• Do your words repel people from you, or do they attract people?
• Do your words build people up, or do they tear them down?
• Do your words point people to God, or do they push them away?
• Do your words make people feel blessed, or cursed, after they’ve been in your company?
• Do your words strengthen community, culture, and organization, or do they divide?
• Do your words create a culture of death, or do they create a culture of life?

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Can you imagine what every corporation, church, and social group would look like if we all applied this verse daily? Imagine the work that could be accomplished, the businesses that would blossom, the relationships that would be restored, the pain we would spare so many children growing up in dysfunctional homes, the churches that would rise up out of divisiveness and become a unified force of hope for ALL nations.

Our seemingly “little” words carry a powerful punch every day of our lives. And if you want to turn your life around, start with your words and the innermost thoughts that steer them.

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny. – Anonymous

James reveals that our words reveal more than a tongue condition; they reveal a heart condition.

“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” (James 3:10-12)

Jesus said “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

In other words, venomous words spring forth from venomous hearts. We need to ask God to take away the root of selfish ambition, pride, envy, jealousy, resentment, bitterness, rage, malice, gossip, deceit, and the spirit of unforgiveness in our hearts. And we need to ask Him to replace it with a heart of forgiveness, love, meekness, edification, kindness, and generous hearts that produce uplifting talk and positive energy through the right words spoken over our lives.

This is God’s covenantal promise to you over your words…

Psalm 34:12-13 “What man is there who desires life and loves MANY days, that he may see GOOD? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” This passage is reiterated by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:10. According to Scripture, our capacity to experience “many” “good” days here in this lifetime is contingent upon the use and control of our tongue. Is yours in check or is it more like a “little” spark about to set ablaze an entire forest?

Write down an EDIFICATION PLAN. Make a note to remind yourself how you will go about encouraging and building up other people this week. Then watch and see the course of your life slowly begin to change its direction.

I would love to hear your feedback on the action plan you develop!