October 18

Oct 18 - Today from Proverbs 18 we look at verse 21
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Life. Something we cherish and are willing to give almost anything to preserve, yet we struggle to define it. What is life, and where does it come from? Life is a profound concept, and it is even more profound that the small muscle in our mouth called a tongue is considered to have power to control it.
We have often defined death as separation - a good definition. When man sinned, he was separated from a vital relationship with God. This was the death of man. When a man's spirit is separated from his body, his body becomes 'lifeless'. This is the 'first death'. Life in the body is a man's spirit. Where did it come from? A cosmic accident? Life does not originate in organic matter. Life does not originate in the most complex configurations of matter - DNA. Dead people have DNA. Does life originate in the brain? No. The brain is only an organ of the body. Life is something greater than the marvelous organic tabernacle that God created to house the spirit of man. Genesis says that life originated from the breath of God. He designed man's body from the organic materials found in the earth ("from the dust of the ground"), and then "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." (Genesis 2:7). That's as much as God reveals about the origin of life - but it is vastly more than what science has been able to come up with in the absence of a Creator. They have come up with nothing but far-fetched, totally improvable theories which generally include 'cosmic dust', 'primordial soup', and 'electronic charges'.
The truth is that every person ever born on the face of the earth has been given the gift of life from the Creator, and every person will eventually experience the 'first death'. The 'second death' of the individual will be total separation from God - forever. This will happen to those who when they leave their earthly body, remain in the state of sin, for sin cannot abide in the presence of God. The Bible teaches that every man has sinned, therefore every man deserves the second death. But God is merciful beyond our comprehension, and has provided a solution through the offering of His own sinless Son, the God/man and eternal Lord, Jesus Christ. He bore the sin of the world in His own body and paid the full penalty by his innocent crucifixion. That's the 'good news'. In order to benefit from this unspeakable gift, you must receive it. Like any gift, if it is not received it is of no benefit. Romans 10:9 & 10 says, "If you confess with you mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Your heart (spirit) is where life abides and your mouth (tongue) connects the spiritual with the physical. An amazing instrument indeed.
There are issues of life and death we must deal with in our lives every day. Life and death have to do with relationships. Ultimate life has to do with our relationship with God. Jesus refers to this relationship as 'life abundant' in John 10:10 (KJV). But there are also life issues with those around us. How we use our tongue can determine if there is 'life' in those relationships (words of blessing, encouragement, support, instruction, etc.), or if there is death in those relationships (curses, lies, deceit, hatred, etc.). The tongue holds the power of life and death. When 'self' is in control of the tongue, it will eventually bring some degree of death into every relationship. When the Holy Spirit is in control of the tongue, it will eventually bring a degree of life into every relationship. We get to choose:
Am I going to give him a piece of my mind, or am I going to give him a piece of the mind of Christ? One brings death, the other life.
Am I going to humiliate her for what she said about me, or am I going to confront her in love and bless her? One brings death, the other life.
Am I going to put him down in front of everyone because he is unpopular anyway, or am I going to say something nice to him in spite of his attitude? One brings death, the other life.
When self is poised to take control of the tongue and unleash a death thrust, remember, it cannot be taken back. Once words are released, they do their damage. What do we do in a situation where the cutting words are boiling on the tip of our tongue?
Practice His presence. Jesus says to pray in the time of temptation, the spirit is willing but the body is weak (Matthew 26:41). When we pray, we are acknowledging His presence and calling on His power. His power is love.