The much younger me used to think words were just… words. Fleeting. Harmless. Something we say and forget. But life has taught me that words have weight—more than we often realize.
I still remember someone in my extended family said something about me to my hearing when I was about eight years old. It was hurtful and stuck with me for years. In some ways it shaped the way I saw myself when I look back. And on the flip side, I also remember a friend once speaking encouragement over me during a time when I felt completely defeated. Her words breathed hope back into my dry, discouraged soul.
That’s when I really began to understand: words don’t just carry meaning—they carry power.
What Scripture Says About Our Words
The Bible doesn’t mince words (pun intended) when it talks about how we speak. Proverbs 18:21 puts it plainly:
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Life and death. That’s how serious God takes our speech.
Think about it—God created the entire universe with His voice. “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). And there was light. He spoke, and things came into being.
As beings created in His image (Genesis 1:27), our words also have creative power—not in the same all-powerful way, but in ways that shape hearts, minds, and destinies.
Speaking Life Over Yourself
Let’s be honest: we’re often our own worst critics.
Have you ever caught yourself saying things like:
“I’m not good enough.”
“I always mess up.”
“I’ll never get it right.”
We say these things to ourselves so often that they become part of our internal script. But here’s the thing: we can’t speak death over ourselves and expect to live in the fullness of life.
Romans 12:2 reminds us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” And one way we renew our minds is by aligning our words with God’s truth—not our feelings, not our fear, not our failures.
Instead of “I’m not good enough,” what if we said, “I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10)?
Instead of “I always mess up,” what if we reminded ourselves, “His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9)?
Speaking life over ourselves isn’t about pretending everything’s perfect. It’s about choosing to declare truth even when our reality feels shaky.
Speaking Life Over Others
It’s easy to underestimate how much our words can impact the people around us.
A compliment, a prayer, a simple “I see you” can change the course of someone’s day—or even their life. The world is already full of criticism, comparison, and noise. What if you became the person known for speaking life?
Proverbs 16:24 says:
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Sometimes, a single sentence of encouragement can be the healing someone’s been praying for.
Whether it’s your child, your coworker, your spouse, or a stranger, we all need reminders of who we are and whose we are. When you feel the nudge to speak life over someone, don’t hold back. Your words may be the very thing God uses to lift them up.
Words Are Seeds
Every time we speak, we’re planting seeds. Seeds of fear or faith. Of discouragement or hope. Seeds grow—and the harvest reflects what we planted.
James 3 paints a vivid picture of the tongue as a small spark that can set a forest on fire, or a rudder that steers a ship. In other words, our words have the power to steer our lives and others’ toward either destruction or destiny.
So what kind of seeds are you planting with your words?
Let’s Make It Practical
Here are a few ways I’m learning to speak life more intentionally (and I invite you to join me):
1. Pause before speaking.
Ask: Is this true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
2. Speak scripture.
God’s Word is the ultimate source of life. Personalize it. Speak it out loud over your day, your family, your future.
3. Encourage someone daily.
Make it a habit to send a quick message, write a note, or speak a word of encouragement to at least one person every day. You never know how deeply it’ll be needed.
4. Talk to yourself the way God talks to you.
If God calls you beloved, chosen, redeemed—then speak to yourself in the same way. Don’t let the enemy be louder than your Creator.
Final Thoughts
I’m still learning. I still catch myself saying things I shouldn’t—about myself, about others. But I’m choosing to be more intentional. To listen more. To build more than I tear down. Because I want my words to echo the heart of God.
Let’s not take our words lightly. Let’s use them to uplift, to heal, to strengthen—to speak life in a world that desperately needs it.
So today, friend, choose life. And speak it.
Have you experienced the power of someone’s words—good or bad? How do you remind yourself to speak life in your daily life? Let’s talk about it in the comments
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