Wisdom specifically instructs us to watch over our words.
Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 12:
14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
Fruit grows from seeds, words are seeds. As Jesus explained in Mark chapter 4:
14 The sower sows the Word.
Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 13:
2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
Eating is for nourishment and pleasure. Eating food was GOD’S original medicine. This implies a fruitful relationship with GOD, with others, and ourselves. Proper nourishment is an investment in our future.
Back in Mark chapter 4, Jesus spoke of the fruitfulness of our words:
8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Our words either promote life or they promote death and destruction. It is our choice of what words we speak.
And in Proverbs chapter 15:
23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
If you are lacking joy, you might want to examine your conversation. Often, we blame the environment, the day we live in, the family, people we are surrounded by in our work, we blame everybody but ourselves, but the words out of our mouth may be the issue. We should not be the victim of others’ words, we are to spread joy with our own words of expectation, hope, and love. How delightful it is to say the right thing at the right time!
In Proverbs chapter 18:
20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.
21 Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
In other Words, sharing Words of Wisdom is satisfying to your inner being. It encourages you to know that you’ve changed someone else’s life.
If you watch and listen to people over time, you only need to listen to how they speak about themselves and others, and what they think is an attack of the enemy, is only them having to eat the food they created with their own speech. They attribute their problems to people ignoring their gifts or being recognized or valued. They think it’s just the enemy opposing them. In reality, they are eating a meal that they created with their own words.
Yes, we have to correct and confront certain situations that arise. There is a huge difference in venting and serving with a corrective word. If I punish you, it’s for my sake, not yours. Correction is for you.
Nothing is impossible as we co-labor with Christ. We are made in His Image. HE wants our words to be creative in nature. A simple phrase can change reality. It is profound that this “tool”, our words, can bring life but also bring death.
Sometimes the struggles we face in life are just the result of having to eat the words we said a few days, weeks, or months ago. When we speak out of turn, we must own up to it and confess it quickly, so the seeds don’t take root. If the seeds take root, they will bear fruit. The Holy Spirit will convict you of those words that don’t promote life.
Speak knowing that you are about to have a meal!