Words are free, but their impact is so huge. Words can mean the difference between a good and bad experience, between life and death.

Proverbs 18:21 says;

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21
https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.18.21.NKJV

This is a republish of this article. The story below happened almost 7years ago. Trust me, I am a changed man now.

Don’t be careless with words. ..

It was almost close of work and as happens often in Port Harcourt City, I imagined that the traffic had begun to build up. To avoid being plunged into the gridlock and jam that many times threatens early pick up of my kids from school, I leave the office a few minutes before close of business (with my boss’ approval ofcourse).

Thank God I made it to their school on time.

My kids and I regularly stop over at a grocery shop on our way home. As we made our way to the counter to pay, the cashier waved us on! I looked at her in utter confusion. On further inquiry to understand her reluctance in attending to us, she nonchalantly said I should go to the next cashier. No explanations offered. ah-ah.

I took her on, pointing out that she could be more polite and nice. She retorted; ‘stand there na,….no be your legs?’ My head spun!! I was already exhausted from a hard day’s job and needed nothing of the disrespect salespersons so quickly rub on customers!

I asked for the shop Manager to formally express my displeasure at her attitude, and just then she accepted to attend to us, but she just couldn’t stop being nasty.

Honestly, I have very limited tolerance for young people who don’t behave well (God is working on this area of my life!).

I realized I’d raised my voice when the attention of other shoppers turned to me. My annoyance wasn’t even at her behavior which is very common with salesgirls, but she cooked up an unimaginable version of what transpired between us to her Manager, outrightly denying that she ever said I could stand there for as long as I wanted and further painting a picture of me as the troublemaker!!!

I was highly infuriated. I heard myself say to her; ‘I give you just one week and you’ll be out of your present position in this shop’. As I said it, I could hear in my spirit; Grace did you really need to say that?….

Even if I could retrieve my pronouncement over this young lady, her attitude didn’t help much as she kept talking, asking who I think I was?

My kids and I stopped over at the shop about a week later, and the young lady was still at her station. She beamed with smiles as we walked past her stand. We just shopped and left. My kids did not fail to observe and call my attention to her continued presence at the shop!! I had no explanation.

A few days later, we stopped at the same shop again, but this time, there was a different person in her slot. When I asked her colleagues about her, I was told she’d been moved to a different section of the shop. And she has not returned to that stand in over a year now.

Was I happy now? Not sure. But the experience left me with an important lesson; the tongue is a powerful tool.

Like James says it: “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing” James 3:7-10.

The second and not to be missed lesson from that encounter is the power every believer in The Lord Jesus Christ has in his tongue. You just need to apply it appropriately. Jesus cursed the fig tree! (selah).

I have not said ‘go about cursing people who do not behave well or disrespect you’, no. But doesn’t the tongue just make a rather little you big and powerful?

Use it wisely!