Inspired to RISE - Day 5 Bible Plan

How Your Words Influence Others

DEVOTIONAL

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? How has that advice influenced your life? I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well if you’ve ever had someone you cared about say something mean to you, you know that is not true. There are few things more powerful than words. I’m sure it doesn’t take you long to think about harmful words that have been said to you that stuck like glue. 

James talks about this in a letter recorded in the New Testament. He says that just as a tiny spark can light a whole forest on fire, so can our words destroy someone's identity and self worth. Our words might just be our greatest superpower. We can use them to bring life or death.

There are many times Jesus used his words to bring life and it changed people forever. 

“Come follow me” brought purpose to hopeless lives.

“Anything is possible with God” brings hope and faith to our lives on hard days.

“Your faith has made you well” brought physical and emotional healing to a desperate soul. 

REFLECTION - Comment your answer below!

How can you use your words to bring life instead of death? Practicing self-control with our words can be really challenging, but the more time we spend with Jesus the more natural it becomes because we become more like him. 

CHALLENGE

Encourage someone with your words today!

BIBLE VERSES

James 1:19

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Matthew 4:19

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Mark 5:34

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

James 3:3-12

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both freshwater and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.