According to researchers, people open their mouths an average of seven hundred times in a day. In those seven hundred times, you will use an average of eighteen thousands words a day. Those eighteen thousand words translate to about fifty-four printed pages. That means that in one year, an average person would fill sixty-six books of eight hundred pages each. Every year, you write with your words sixty-six volumes that are larger than Tom Clancy’s novels.
That’s a lot of words! What makes it even more impressive is that each of those words matter. The Old Testament says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21, ESV). The Message version puts it this way: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”
Is it that big of a deal? Let’s see what Jesus said about it. “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:34-37).
You and I will be held accountable for every careless word we speak, so yes, we definitely need to take our eighteen thousand seriously. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? God thinks our words are so important and can make such a difference in someone’s life that he holds us accountable for them.
Proverbs 12:25 tells us, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” So here’s a challenge for you: give someone a good word today. Text it, say it, write it. Choose your words to bring life.
Recently, my family and I were traveling. As we sat together on the last flight, I watched my youngest daughter write a five-sentence note of thanks to the flight attendant. She wanted to give life with her words. One good word can change anxiety into gladness. Your words have that capability. Do something useful with your eighteen thousand today!
After pastoring an inner-city congregation in Detroit for thirty years, Pastor Tim served at Brooklyn Tabernacle in NYC for five years and pastored in Lafayette, Louisiana, for five years. He became Senior Pastor of Times Square Church in May of 2020.