Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
If any of you really know me, you know that I enjoy food. It's always been that way for me, and if I were being honest with you, which I always try to do, it's a daily struggle. Now, I grew up the youngest of four children, with three older brothers. Needless to say, if I ever wanted seconds on anything that I liked, I had to eat fast - while there was still something left.
One day at the age of about seven, I came into the house after playing outside. My mom was sitting around the dining room table with some friends drinking coffee. It was a hot, summer day, and I was famished. I saw what looked like brownie crumbs sitting on a paper towel at the table. I distinctly remember saying to one brother (who shall remain nameless), "I can't believe mom made brownies and ate them all!" So my brother said, "Well, the crumbs are there, go eat them." I saw my chance, and I took it. I scooped those crumbs right into my mouth and started to inhale, without even chewing. They were crumbs, after all. Who needs to chew? As soon as the first drop went down my throat, I started gagging and choking. I looked over at my brother, laughing away, and my mom immediately sprang into action to help me breathe and wash out my mouth with water. Yes, those 'crumbs' were actually coffee grounds, and my brother knew it all along.
Contrast that bitter taste (that I hope none of you with older brothers ever had to endure) with the most wonderful flavor you can imagine. Maybe it's dark chocolate. Maybe it's a juicy medium-rare steak. Maybe it's your favorite dessert. Whatever that taste is that releases those endorphins in your brain, think of the contrast between the two. Bitterness or pure, undeniable, delicacy. That is what I think of when I dwell on the verse to memorize this week.
The tongue has the power of life and death...
Have you ever had someone speak truth to you that you felt as though you had renewed joy, renewed energy, and truly a renewed life? Now think about the converse. Have you ever had someone rip into you so deeply that it seemingly bore a whole in your soul? I'll bet you can think of more examples in your life of when you've been torn down instead of built up. I can.
I'm an analyzer. I like to try to figure people out, and I like to try to figure myself out. I love looking at the things in my past and figuring out why I am who I am today. Believe it or not, I used to have really low self-esteem. I'm sure there are many reasons for that, but I can pin-point one major contributing event in my life. When I was in sixth grade, a teacher tore me up and down, inside and out, in front of the other students. She didn't make just one comment. She went on and on, doing everything she could and say everything she could think of to humiliate me. You see, quick wit as an adult is a great attribute. It's one of my characteristics that I'm most proud of. I'm a lot like my dad, in that respect. But, quick wit as a fifth grader is called disrespect. Yes, I needed to be reprimanded; I just did not need it done publicly. Now, I went to a Christian school...these kinds of things should not have happened. Unfortunately, sometimes we speak flippantly and have no clue that our words might leave a lasting scar on others.
As I try to think of an example of when someone has used their tongue to bring life into me, I find it much more difficult. As humans, it's easier to remember the wounds, scars, and hurts than it is to remember the good. Now, as I flip that switch and think about how I use my words, I wonder what my ratio is of bringing life or death to someone with my words. Looking at how others have hurt me is always a lot easier than asking God to show me how I've hurt others.
...those who love it will eat its fruit.
We can choose words that bring destruction or life. The choices we make show where our 'love' is. Certainly, all of us would agree that given the choice, we would choose the life-fruit for someone talking to us. Yet, do we put that into practice with others? That's the real test. Matthew 12:37 says, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
There's nothing like a kind word fitly spoken. Proverbs 25:11 says it's like apples of gold in settings of silver. Yes, we love to receive the fruit of life...that's an easy one. Today, I am asking God to show me what kind of fruit is on the platter I'm serving to others. Am I taking every opportunity to build others up instead of myself? Even more so, am I taking every opportunity to tell others how to have LIFE in Christ? That is the ultimate fruit we all should be serving up. This week I'm asking God to give me the opportunity to speak life and truth into someone each day, and perhaps more importantly, to not bring damage to someone because of my words.
So what's it going to be? Coffee grounds or chocolate? Death or Life? The choice is mine, every time I open my mouth.
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com