“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
The preacher Solomon is not alone in teaching about the power of the tongue in this scripture. Several passages in the New Testament teach the same truth. The way we use our tongue can chart the happiness and quality of life we enjoy in this life as well determining even our eternal destiny.
“Death” means a tongue that imparts hurt to others or to ourselves, leading to misery in this life or even our physical death if our words are offensive enough. “Life” means a tongue that imparts wise, gentle, and encouraging words to others, leading to wholesome relationships and personal peace.
Whichever we choose, we will “eat its fruit,” meaning we will reap the consequences of our words. So, we have control—that is, we do have a choice: bad words that will lead to “death” or good words that will lead to “life.”
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