I have a way with words. You might have noticed I tend to use a lot of them. My husband does it better, though. People listen to him because he doesn't talk all the time. He's shown me that it's not the quantity of words you speak, but the quality. A word spoken leaves a mark on eternity, for better or worse.
There are days, like yesterday, when it's only after the words come out that I see their power. We plant seeds into the soil of people's hearts Those seeds will one day bloom. If I plant goodness and mercy, that's what I'll get. If I plant discord and strife...you get the idea.
The Apostle James declares, A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! (James 3:5, MSG) James also says words heal the world or destroy it. But it isn't just the words we speak. It's also the words we listen to. We hear negative talk about who we are and our circumstances every day. A critical opinion is the only consistent thing the world has to offer.
Negative talk, whether we are speaking or hearing it, weaves an illusion of lies. It blinds us to the truth of who we are in Christ. The garbage coming at us erodes confidence in Him. I'll give you a personal example. Our third baby, precious Ella Grace, is a bonus. Notice I didn't say "mistake" (although that's come up, like she was an "oops!") She was a surprise. The difference between a surprise and a mistake is, a surprise is an unexpected gift. A mistake is a unexpected burden.
The difference may seem small, but it isn't. If I spoke that word mistake to her, it would cripple her emotionally and spiritually. She would act out of that disability and probably put herself into a whole host of bad situations. But the Lord of the Universe makes no mistakes.
I can see the power of just ONE WORD, can you?
Words are the weapons we wield in the battle against our flesh and the world. That's why we are commanded to think about what is pure, true, right, lovely, praiseworthy. ANYTHING GOOD...NOT BAD. (Go here, to Philippians 4:8 for more detail)
Stupid, fat, ugly, worthless, poor, ruined, wasted, hopeless. These are all words you have heard about yourself or someone you love. I'm sure I'm missing a few. The world is only ever going to call you a mistake. But as my good friend, Dr. Burt Palmer, likes to say, The world doesn't have the last say on your life; God does.
You can reject negative words. You can reject negative thoughts. When they come at you, like a shot gun blast meant to blow a hole in your heart, stiff arm them before they take root. Put on your Christ-mind and recognize them for what they are - smoke and mirrors. The truth of God's word is your reality now and it will dis-spell the illusion. Get and stay in the Word. And plant those good words in others. Believe the good about them, not the bad and speak it out. God wants you free to do His work, so do things His way. Then you will be free.
And those the Son sets free are Free indeed!
There are days, like yesterday, when it's only after the words come out that I see their power. We plant seeds into the soil of people's hearts Those seeds will one day bloom. If I plant goodness and mercy, that's what I'll get. If I plant discord and strife...you get the idea.
The Apostle James declares, A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! (James 3:5, MSG) James also says words heal the world or destroy it. But it isn't just the words we speak. It's also the words we listen to. We hear negative talk about who we are and our circumstances every day. A critical opinion is the only consistent thing the world has to offer.
Negative talk, whether we are speaking or hearing it, weaves an illusion of lies. It blinds us to the truth of who we are in Christ. The garbage coming at us erodes confidence in Him. I'll give you a personal example. Our third baby, precious Ella Grace, is a bonus. Notice I didn't say "mistake" (although that's come up, like she was an "oops!") She was a surprise. The difference between a surprise and a mistake is, a surprise is an unexpected gift. A mistake is a unexpected burden.
The difference may seem small, but it isn't. If I spoke that word mistake to her, it would cripple her emotionally and spiritually. She would act out of that disability and probably put herself into a whole host of bad situations. But the Lord of the Universe makes no mistakes.
I can see the power of just ONE WORD, can you?
Words are the weapons we wield in the battle against our flesh and the world. That's why we are commanded to think about what is pure, true, right, lovely, praiseworthy. ANYTHING GOOD...NOT BAD. (Go here, to Philippians 4:8 for more detail)
Stupid, fat, ugly, worthless, poor, ruined, wasted, hopeless. These are all words you have heard about yourself or someone you love. I'm sure I'm missing a few. The world is only ever going to call you a mistake. But as my good friend, Dr. Burt Palmer, likes to say, The world doesn't have the last say on your life; God does.
You can reject negative words. You can reject negative thoughts. When they come at you, like a shot gun blast meant to blow a hole in your heart, stiff arm them before they take root. Put on your Christ-mind and recognize them for what they are - smoke and mirrors. The truth of God's word is your reality now and it will dis-spell the illusion. Get and stay in the Word. And plant those good words in others. Believe the good about them, not the bad and speak it out. God wants you free to do His work, so do things His way. Then you will be free.
And those the Son sets free are Free indeed!
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