The New Life Daily Devotional quotes James 3:5-10 regarding the power of our words.
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/NewLife/11633477/
In the book of James, James reminds us that the words that we use can do great damage. Among other things, James calls it a "flame of fire". We would do well to remember the damage that it can do. I heard about a woman who came up to Dwight Moody and told him that "I don't have problems with my tongue. I just go off and then it is done." Dwight replied, "Yes, and so does a shotgun and look at the damage that it does."
Many people grow up hearing only how stupid or ugly they are from parents or other people who should be loving them and not tearing them down. Other people might not hear anything at all, but are treated like dirt and abused. In the absence of encouraging words, a person will start to believe negative hurtful comments even if they are not true. Where I work in the mental health field, we see people who have problems with self-esteem and are abusive to themselves because of messages they were told for years by parents and siblings.
James is reminding us all, to be careful with the words that we say. We are all accountable to God for each thing that we say, both good and bad. We should use our words to encourage and lift up others.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Eph 4:20
Other related Scriptures: Ps 34:13; Pr 13:3; Pr 21:23; 1 Peter 3:10; 1 Peter 2:1.
