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 can be uplifting. They can give life or change a life. They can also be destructive. Years ago, I worked with someone who seemed to not like me very much. I am not sure why. You know, you can just tell when someone doesn’t care for you. Then this person began going to church.

This person became the best Christian ever and if you didn’t believe me, you could simply ask them. The problem was this person was doing things like berating those of us who were not Christians or not as good a Christian as they were.

This person’s words and actions were not exactly leading people to the Lord.

Once we are saved, we should be saved from talk that destroys others or especially talk that destroys our witness. If we are truly saved, we want more than anything to draw others to the Lord.

We should yearn to see others be saved and come to have a deep, personal relationship with the Lord. We should want them to experience God’s mercy, love and protection. Sadly, we will either draw them to the Lord or push them away and often this is done simply by what we say.

We know we are not to use angry words, slander, or obscene talk from Colossians 3:8. We know we should speak in a way that gives thanks and praise and honor to Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17). Ephesians 5:3 tells us that no filthiness, foolish talk nor crude joking should come from our mouths. And Exodus 20:7 says we should never take the Lord’s name in vain.

So, what can we say or what should we say? According to Proverbs 16:24 gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and the health of the body. Ephesians 4:29 says no corrupting talk should come from our mouths but only that which is good for building up.

We live in a time where what we say is extremely important even if it seems no one is listening. If we love the Lord and have been saved, we want others to be saved as well. We will never lead others to the Lord by putting them down or speaking harshly to them. We are told in Galatians 6:1 that as Christians, we should restore sinners with gentleness. And we should never forget our actions speak much louder than our words.

My friend, the time is drawing nearer and nearer with each passing day. We need to be careful about how we speak. We are told in Matthew 12:36 we will give an account on the day of judgment for each careless word we say.

What can we say so others will listen? Many just don’t want to hear about heaven and hell. They don’t want to think about their own mortality. None of us know when Jesus will return, but we all know there will come a time when we will die and none of us know when that will happen either.

I am often troubled wondering what I can say to a loved one who is lost and hurting. What can I say that will lead them to Christ? When we encounter those who are lost, we must keep in mind that we have no idea what they are going through. They may have been hurt in church or by a so-called Christian.

Pray for God to give you the wisdom and the words to say. When you are wondering what you can say, pray. Pray Psalm 19:14 regularly which says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and redeemer.” God will be glad to do that for you.

Have a great day!