Life and Death Power – Antje HillWill you marry me? Sorry, there is nothing we can do. It’s a boy! Words change our life dramatically, for better or for worse. Words, standing alone in a dictionary, innocently define their meaning, but spoken together, they can destroy a spirit, stir up hatred or cause someone to be more than they ever dreamed.
We know what God did with words. In Genesis, He said, “Let there be light.” Then “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” Then, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And soon after God said, “Let us make man in Our own image.” Powerful words!
Here on earth, real life stories have proven the importance of words. One of the most sought after motivational speakers of our times tells of his experience with words in grammar school. He was told he was educable mentally retarded. But another teacher told him never, ever to repeat that about himself again. He didn’t and became a motivator and Christ-follower, making a difference in lives across the world. The final authority, God’s word, tells us in Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”(ESV) That is about as plain as it gets.
Has someone lashed out at you with cutting words? Don’t accept them as truth! Do you hurt people with unkind words? God tells us the best road to travel, yet He gives us the freedom to choose our moves. But for sure He smiles when we choose to make life pleasant for those in our daily lives?
Antje is a columnist for Parents & Kids Magazine. She is passionate about her faith,
her husband, her sons and writing. Contact 
