Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue

Various Proverbs
Every day, we each wield a lot of power with the words we use. The Proverbs teach that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21). Our good words can either build relationships and cultivate community, or our poor choice of words can tear down and destroy those very same relationships. Why are our words so powerful? And what can we do to change the way we speak?