There’s a vigorous debate in our country about guns, violence, freedom, and rights. But what we often fail to notice is the presence of weapons in every single home.

In fact, there are weapons in every relationship. And too often, we use our weapons to threaten, injure, or destroy others. Each one of us is, in effect, armed and dangerous. What am I talking about?

The tongue. As we discussed last weekend at Seneca Creek, the tongue is a potent power that we often use to humiliate, intimidate, dominate and manipulate. We get eager, anxious, excited, angry or fearful, and we open our mouths and become dangerous. We use our tongue as a weapon.

• We use words to tell someone how incompetent they are, or how disappointing they are, or how stupid they are, or how ignorant they are.
• We use words to tell someone that we don’t approve, don’t accept, don’t appreciate, or don’t love them.
• We use words to highlight the other person’s failures, their flaws, their forgetfulness, and their faults.
• We use words to tear down the other person’s appearance, their personality, their accomplishments, and their reputation.
• We use words to prove that we’re smarter, savvier, stronger, or in control.

King Solomon, the wisest man in the ancient world, put it like this:

The tongue has the power of life and death. (Proverbs 18:21)

Don’t miss the contrast. You can use your tongue as a weapon, or as a source of life. You can speak words of life into anyone…even those who you don’t particularly like or agree with!

I’d be willing to bet that somewhere in your life, someone spoke words of life to you.

• Someone encouraged you to apply to that prestigious school.
• Someone said, “I believe you can do this,” when no one else did
• Someone offered to forgive you when you knew you didn’t deserve it.
• Someone agreed to love you for the rest of your life when you struggled to love yourself.

The choice is yours. You CAN choose wisely. You CAN speak words of life into someone else today. That IS God’s desire and design for you and me.

You’re “armed” with the power of your tongue. Choose life today.

-Pastor Mark