A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:45

The sage wasn’t exaggerating when he said, “The tongue has the power of life and death...” (Proverbs 18:21). Our tongues have the power to put marriages, families, friendships, careers, hopes, reputations, and much more to death. We all know the damage words can do, and yet people and things can also live because of something that is said. Tongues can own sin, reconcile people, and pursue peace. They can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy. They can give hope to those in despair, advance understanding, and share the grace that we’ve found in Jesus.

What will come out of your mouth today: death or life? Jesus said that the answer to that question will all depend on what’s filling your heart (Luke 6:45). A self-righteous heart leads to a judgmental tongue while a contented heart leads to an encouraging tongue. Would you join me in seeking to fill our hearts with the grace of God. Refuel your soul with God’s Word, where the reality that you have a God who “speaks a better word over you” is revealed over and over again (Hebrews 12:24). 

Jesus didn’t just bear the mocking and reviling from the mouths of men, he bore the weight of our failure to keep our tongue from death. He did that so your heart would swell up with grace and your mouth would overflow with it.

Lord Jesus, forgive me for using my mouth to justify my sin and to damage, manipulate, label, or divide others. When you were reviled, you did not use your mouth to retaliate, but you “entrusted yourself to the one who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Holy Spirit, give me the grace to rest in the love of Christ who suffered to reconcile me, that I would have the desire and the freedom to “let no corrupting talk come out of my mouth, but only that which would give grace to those who would hear” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV).