“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18:21 ESV)
Our words have power. No, not in the way self-proclaimed self-help gurus, prosperity gospelists, and Word of Faith hucksters claim that we can speak things into existence—something only God can do. That’s not what I mean.
What I’m referring to, of course, is the power of the tongue in how we use it. Our words have the power to build up, to edify, to curse, to discourage.
I wrote the following about this subject in my book Gospel Smugness:
Our speech matters. Guarding our mouth matters. The words that come out of our mouths hold within them the power to encourage or anger; to make glad or upset; to compliment or critique.
What we must understand is our speech must be different than that of unbelievers. Instead of snark, we must season our speech with grace.
Christian, are you controlling your tongue? Do you make it a point to watch what you say, to be intentional about what comes out of your mouth? For we know, according to Scripture, what proceeds from our tongue is a picture of the state of our heart.
Your words hold a lot of weight. Be slow to speak; use them wisely.
Theology & Life 
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