Do You Bring Life Or DO You Bring Death With Your Words

Do you use your words to enhance or degrade the people you interact with when you have a conversation? Do you ignore someone who disagrees with you or do you choose to accept their point of view? Today, it's simple to insult someone since they believe you are incorrect because your point of view differs from theirs. People will verbally demolish you rather than merely agreeing to disagree. When I consider how potent words are, it terrifies me to see how quickly someone may be called names. In Mark 11:12–26 of the Bible, it is mentioned that Jesus cursed the fig tree. I'll give a simple summary of this chapter so you can see why Jesus cursed the fig tree, but I urge you to read the entire thing on your own. Jesus was starving when he noticed a fig tree from a distance. Since the tree had leaves, Jesus naturally assumed it also had the fruit it produces. Although it was not fig season, the tree appeared to be bearing fruit from a distance. Jesus warned the tree that no one would ever eat from it again because it had no fruit when He arrived. Jesus said this to the tree, and his disciples heard it. The tree was withered when they passed it the following morning. ''Look at the tree you cursed, Jesus'', said Peter. In this chapter, you can learn a lot of things, but I want to focus on the tongue's strength in particular. I had something in mind as I was reading chapter 2. Initially, you have the power to create or destroy with your words by using them to give life or death. Proverbs 18:21 states, Life or death can be determined by the use of one's tongue, and those who love it will consume its produce. What an incredible amount of power! You can use your words to talk kindly and give someone life, or you can speak unkindly and curse and destroy that same person. You can live like this world and relish using your words to harm people, or you can use them to glorify God and tell the truth. Second, I want to mention how the tree appeared to have promise; it appeared to be bearing fruit and was covered in leaves. Can it be that most of us present a certain image yet fail to provide the goods? How many of us appear to be Christians yet acting otherwise while we are not at church. How many of us have friends who are completely unaware of our faith? Could Jesus have been saying that we should behave like Christians every day of the week if we dress like them on Sundays? Maybe some of us act the role but don't have the scripture to practice. Could it be that despite the fact that we appear to be doing the part, we are not truly following Jesus? Because fig trees symbolized Israel as a country, there is a lesson to be learned from this chapter about the fruitless fig tree. If Israel doesn't change and accept Jesus as the real Messiah, it will be judged for its spiritual barrenness. Because judgment is coming for everyone, we must act the part rather than just pretending to be someone else. Is it possible that we are only pretending to want a connection with God because we are too busy playing church? Do you produce fruit or are you merely a leaf pile, ask yourself? The wonderful thing is that you can repent and ask God to lead you to bear fruit even if you are only full of leaves. Get to know God, communicate with Him, express your emotions to Him, and spend time in His presence each day. Pour out your heart and soul to God in sincerity, for He already knows your thoughts, and you will witness how He responds and you will bear fruit. We all fall short of God's glory, therefore let's cling firmly to His Word and seek Him every day. Let's live lives that bear much fruit and carry out God's desire.