“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” — Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)
Words are not neutral. Proverbs doesn’t treat speech like decoration, it treats it like a force. Death and life don’t only show up in hospitals and cemeteries; they show up in kitchens, classrooms, text messages, meetings, and mirrors. They show up in the sentences you repeat when you’re tired, offended, afraid, or disappointed.
“Death” can sound like this: “I’m done.” “Nothing ever changes.” “I can’t.” “You always…” “I’m not enough.” It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s slow and subtle, words that drain hope, shrink faith, and cut down what God is trying to grow. Death can be the way we speak to our children when we’re frustrated, the way we speak to our spouse when we’re disappointed, or the way we speak to ourselves when we’re alone. It can kill confidence, trust, intimacy, and courage long before anything “dies” outwardly.
But “life” has a sound too. Life speaks truth without cruelty, correction without contempt, and faith without pretending. Life says: “We will get through this.” “God is with me.” “I can learn.” “I forgive.” “I’m growing.” Life doesn’t deny reality, it refuses to let reality be the final word.
The second half of the verse is the part we don’t always quote: “they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” That means speech produces outcomes. Words become seeds, and seeds become harvest. If you “love” using your tongue, if you casually release words without care, you will eventually eat what you planted. You will live in the emotional atmosphere your words create. You will taste the fruit of the conversations you cultivate.
That’s why to “Elevate Her ” must include habits that elevates speech: the discipline to pause, the wisdom to choose, and the courage to bless what feels barren.
In 2 Kings 4, the Shunammite woman faced the kind of grief that could have made her crumble. Her promised son collapsed and died. She laid him on the prophet’s bed and moved with intention. When her husband asked, “Is it well with thee? Is it well with the child?” she answered, “It is well.” When the servant asked again, she said the same.
Her words were not denial; they were alignment. She was not saying, “Nothing is wrong.” She was saying, “This situation will not be the author of my faith.” She wouldn’t let panic write her next chapter. She used her tongue to keep herself moving toward the God who can restore what has fallen silent.
Your tongue is a rudder. Small, but powerful, capable of turning the direction of a whole day, a whole relationship, even your own courage. Ask yourself before you speak: Will this bring life, or will it bring death?
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Speak truth in a life-giving way: clear, calm, and clean (no insults, no exaggerations, no “always/never”).
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Choose one replacement this week: “This is too much” → “God will meet me here.”, “I’m failing” → “I’m learning and I’m still standing.”, “Nothing is changing” → “God is working, even when I can’t see it.”