We’ve all heard the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
But anyone who’s lived long enough knows that isn’t true.
Words can hurt.
Words can heal.
Words shape our lives, our relationships, and even our legacy.
The Bible puts it plainly:
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
Let’s pause and take that in:
Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
Words carry weight. Words shape reality. Words can lift someone from despair or push them further into it. This isn’t just a human observation—it’s biblical truth. James 3, a passage we often overlook, devotes almost an entire chapter to the tongue:
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness... Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” – James 3:9-10 (NIV)
This truth is echoed in more ways than we realize. Consider the fact that there are over 7,000 spoken languages in the world today. Language connects us—not just with one another, but with God.
Even music, though wordless, is a form of language. It’s called a non-linguistic but universal language. Music transcends nationality. Scientists refer to it as an emotional-semantic form of communication, meaning it conveys meaning through emotion. It speaks to the soul. As C.S. Lewis once said:
“Music can bypass the mind and go straight to the heart.”
That’s why musicians, like preachers, bear a sacred responsibility: to use their gift in a way that reflects truth and brings life.
The Bible doesn’t begin with a bang—it begins with a word.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1 (NIV)
Everything came into being through that Word—Jesus Christ. From galaxies to genetic code, creation carries the imprint of meaning. Our DNA itself is a kind of language—coded in a sequence that can be read, translated, and understood. Scientists use four letters to represent it. But long before humanity learned how to decode it, an intelligent mind—God Himself—encoded it.
Just as we decode languages and programming scripts, we’re simply discovering what was already there. This isn’t chaos. This is intentional design. And behind all design is a Designer.
Ancient Greek philosophers debated what came first—matter or idea? Eventually, they agreed: idea comes first, information comes first.
But the Gospel of John goes even deeper—it says behind everything is not just an idea, but a Person:
the Eternal Logos—Jesus Christ.
God is a speaking God. And when He made us in His image, He gave us the ability to speak, to think, and to create. Your words aren’t random—they’re creative tools. What you speak can build or break, bless or burn, nurture or destroy.
Let’s remember what God said about the people building the Tower of Babel:
“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” – Genesis 11:6 (NIV)
Unified language gives incredible power. Today, with technology and real-time translation, humanity is moving toward speaking one language again. The question isn’t can we communicate—it’s what will we do with this power?
Will we build another Babel? Or will we use our words to build the Kingdom of God?
Jesus gave us a sobering reminder:
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” – Matthew 12:36 (NIV)
That stings a little. But it reminds us: words matter.
- Speak truth.
- Speak kindness.
- Speak life.
- Build up.
- Don’t tear down.
Your words today are shaping your tomorrow. They’re shaping your relationships. They’re shaping your witness.
So speak as someone who bears the image of the God who spoke the universe into being.
Because the tongue really does hold the power of life and death.