17 things the Bible has said about the power in your tongue
The Scripture consistently warns us to be cautious with our words.
Proverbs 12:18 states, “There is one whose hasty words are like sword stabs, but the tongue of the prudent brings healing.”
Words have the power to create, destroy, mend and inflict significant harm.
Proverbs 18:21 reinforces this by stating, “Death and life are in the authority of the tongue, and those who cherish it will reap its benefits.”
These passages demonstrate the potential for good or harm that our tongues and words can wield.
This influence and obligation are addressed multiple times throughout the Scriptures.
Here are 17 insights the Bible provides about using and the consequences of misusing this power.
Proverbs 13:3; “Whoever restrains his speech safeguards his life; he who opens wide his lips leads to destruction.”
Ephesians 4:29; “Let no foul language come from your mouths, but only what is beneficial for building others up, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.”
Proverbs 18:19; “A brother who has been insulted is more difficult to win back than a fortified city, and disputes separate individuals like the barred gates of a palace.”
Proverbs 10:20; “The words of a righteous individual are like refined silver, but the thoughts of a wicked person hold little value.”
Proverbs 26:20; “Without fuel, a flame will extinguish, and without gossip, arguing will cease.”
Proverbs 11:17; “Your own spirit is nourished when you show kindness, but you harm yourself when you are unkind.”
1 Peter 3:9; “Do not repay harm with harm or insult with insult. Instead, respond to harm with blessings, because to this you were called so that you may receive a blessing.”
Proverbs 16:24; “Kind words are like honey – sweet for the soul and beneficial for the body.”
Matthew 15:18; “But what emerges from the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles an individual.”
Matthew 12:36; “I assure you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every thoughtless word they utter.”
Matthew 12:37; “For by your words, you will be vindicated, and by your words, you will be condemned.”
Colossians 3:8; “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things: anger, fury, malice, slander, and inappropriate language from your mouth.”
James 1:26; “If anyone believes himself to be religious and does not control his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s faith is pointless.”
James 3:3-6; “When we place bits into the mouths of horses to make them submit, we can direct the entire animal. Consider ships. Although they are massive and driven by fierce winds, they are navigated by a tiny rudder wherever the helmsman wishes to go. In the same way, the tongue is a small component of the body, yet it boasts tremendously. Think about how a great forest is ignited by a tiny spark. The tongue is likewise a flame, a realm of wickedness among the body’s parts. It corrupts the entire being, igniting the entire course of one’s existence, and is itself ignited by hell.”
James 3:9-12; “With the tongue, we honor our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been created in God’s image. Out of the same mouth comes honor and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree yield olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt spring yield fresh water.”
Proverbs 29:20; “Do you notice a man who is quick with his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Colossians 4:6; “Let your conversation always be gracious, sprinkled with salt, so that you may know how to appropriately respond to each individual.”
