Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue 

Drew Narmour- YBL Jackson Director

Everyone in business knows the impact of words. They can secure a deal or destroy a partnership, inspire a team or unravel trust. When it comes to generating revenue, how an organization communicates is often just as important as what it offers. 

What is true in the workplace is true everywhere: words carry extraordinary weight. They shape our lives and the lives of those around us. This is why Proverbs devotes so much attention to the tongue. Other than wisdom itself, no topic appears more often. In a book written to teach us how to live well in a chaotic world, speech is central. 

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, 
 and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18:21) 

Words Can Build or Destroy 

The Bible begins with God speaking creation into existence. His word brought light from darkness and order from chaos. He blessed what he made, calling it good, and gave Adam the task of naming the animals. Like God, his words brought order, clarity, and meaning.  

But words can also corrupt. Satan uses his words to call into question the truthfulness of God’s words (Gen. 3:1-5). Our words also carry this dual potential. Proverbs 13:3 says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” We can use our words to shape the world around us, for better or for worse.  

Gossip is singled out repeatedly in Proverbs. “The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body” (Prov. 18:8). We know the experience, how good gossip tastes for a moment. We may even refer to it as “juicy.” Yet its effect is destructive, eroding trust and corroding relationships. “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends” (Prov. 16:28).  2

But Proverbs also reminds us that words can create and sustain life. “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (Prov. 16:24). A thoughtful word at the right time can strengthen a colleague, comfort a spouse, or encourage a discouraged friend.  

Words are Essential 

One of the reasons we struggle with our speech is because we fail to treat words with the weight they deserve. As we have seen, our words are far from inconsequential, but we often minimize their impact. After all, sticks and stones, right? While this might be a helpful defense mechanism, it would be wrong to adopt this as our world view of words.  

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Eternal life itself is received through the message of the gospel. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he resisted not with silence but with Scripture: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). We live by words. 

This dependence is not merely spiritual but deeply human. One of our deepest desires is to be known by others, something which can’t be done without expressing ourselves. Many of us are involved in YBL groups where we hopefully feel the freedom of vulnerability. Without expression, we feel isolated, cut off from others.  

But we also need to hear from others. It is not enough to declare that the only voice that matters is our own, ‘it doesn’t matter what others think about me.’ However much we may wish that were true, no one can live that way. We need words spoken to us, words of truth, encouragement, correction, and blessing. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.” Our words nourish others or leave them starving. 

Words are Revealing 

The most sobering truth in Proverbs is the connection between our words and our hearts. 

“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; 
 the heart of the wicked is of little worth.” (Proverbs 10:20) 

What comes out of our mouths is a window into what fills our hearts. Jesus makes the connection explicit, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). 

Reckless words come from restless hearts. Gossip flows from envy. Harshness springs from pride. Refusal to listen grows from arrogance. This means the problem with our speech is not simply lack of discipline or self-control. The tongue is wild because the heart is proud, fearful, or envious. So, to change our speech, our hearts must be renewed. 

The Word that Gives Life 

The good news is that God’s Word creates new hearts and restores what is broken. Christ Himself is the Word made flesh, who took upon Himself the weight of our lies, gossip, and pride. He endured the sting of false accusation and the silence of abandonment. On the cross He bore the judgment our words deserve. In His resurrection he now speaks a better word: forgiveness, reconciliation, and life (Heb. 12:24). 

If our words reveal our hearts, then only new hearts can produce new speech. That is what Christ offers. Transformation begins not with trying harder but with receiving His word of grace. 

This is why Proverbs insists so strongly on the power of the tongue. Speech is not an isolated skill but the outflow of the heart. If we desire life-giving words, we must return again and again to the Word who gives life. This truth reshapes our work itself, where the way we speak can either drain others or become a channel of God’s grace in the midst of the pressures of the workplace. Only when our hearts are filled with the good news of Christ will our mouths overflow with speech that brings life.