Speak Life

Recently I was listening to the radio and heard a song that brought me up short—“Speak Life” by TobyMac. The song talks about changing people’s lives by the words you say.

I know that’s true, of course, and I try to speak—and write—life into people’s lives whenever I can. But the words of this song struck me with the reality that “we can turn a heart with the words we say. Mountains crumble with every syllable? Hope can live or die.”

That’s quite a responsibility, but the Bible says, “a soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit,” (Proverb 15:4), among many others. Do a word search, and you’ll likely find some sobering counsel.

Our words matter. And in this rough and tumble world of the 21^st-century, there’s not a lot of wholesome and holy words going around. There are so many broken-hearted people, and with our words we can “watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope, you speak love, you speak life.”

So whether I am writing a novel, a Facebook post, or a blog, or whether I’m having lunch with a friend, texting, or emailing, I want to “use my words to inspire, spread love like fire, and rain down hope” in all I say and write. Thanks, TobyMac, for the wise reminder.

“Speak Life”

by TobyMac

Some days, life feels perfect.

Other days it just ain’t workin.

The good, the bad, the right, the wrong

And everything in between.

Though it’s crazy, amazing

We can turn a heart with the words we say.

Mountains crumble with every syllable.

Hope can live or die

(chorus)

So speak Life, speak Life.

To the deadest darkest night.

Speak life, speak Life.

When the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why.

Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted;

Watch them come alive as soon as you speak hope,

You speak love, you speak…

You speak Life

Some days the tongue gets twisted;

Other days my thoughts just fall apart.

I do, I don’t, I will, I won’t,

It’s like I’m drowning in the deep.

Well it’s crazy to imagine,

Words from our lips as the arms of compassion,

Mountains crumble with every syllable.

Hope can live or die.

(repeat chorus)

Lift your head a little higher,

Spread the love like fire,

Hope will fall like rain,

When you speak life with the words you say.

Raise your thoughts a little higher,

Use your words to inspire,

Joy will fall like rain,

When you speak life with the things you say.

Lift your head a little higher,

Spread the love like fire,

Hope will fall like rain,

When you speak life with the words you say.

(repeat chorus)

Some days life feels perfect.