Speak Life

Ephesians 4:29 reads, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” On Toby Mac’s newest album, he wrote a song called, “Speak Life.” He based the song off a quote he read in Brennan Manning’s book, Abba Child. Brennan wrote, “Anyone we come in contact with we either offer them life or we drain them. There is no neutral exchange.” Toby Mac said, “That means that everyone I talk to, I have the opportunity to offer life to. Literally, I can speak life to people. My words can be used to turn someone’s life around, to encourage him or her, to be compassion, to be love.  

A month or two ago, I received a text from a friend who has been in California for nine months doing missionary work. In her text, she wrote, “Praying the verses in Colossians 1:2-14 over you tonight.” I grabbed my Bible and began reading those verses. Friends, I can’t even begin to tell you how meaningful that text was and how it changed my entire outlook on that evening. If her text brought me that much joy, I started to wonder, how my words might affect others lives. There are many ways we can speak life. We can mail an encouraging card, send a supportive text message or make a phone call to a friend or family member. Last week, I left a bottle of A&W root beer on a stressed out teacher’s desk with a note reading, “You’re an AW-some teacher.”

Words are powerful. They can build a person up or tear a person down. We have an opportunity to speak life in every conversation we have. I am working on being more intentional in speaking life to people not only face to face, but with the people I don’t see everyday let alone every week or month for that matter. I’m making a conscious decision to speak hope, speak love, and speak life. How will you use your words to speak life this week?