WATCH YOUR WORDS, PART 2 (continued from June 18, 2019)
How often have you heard one of the world’s greatest misconceptions? “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Wanna bet? Tell this to any of the countless adults struggling with deep emotional wounds — left by overly-critical parents who never spoke an encouraging word to their children; who instead uttered harsh words like “You’ll never amount to anything!” (By the way, that’s certainly NOT what God has to say about you. His Holy Word proclaims, “…Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)
- Family feuds, marital breakups, and fallouts with friends and coworkers all begin with negative, cutting words. Of course, the opposite is also true: not only are friendships and family ties formed and nurtured by positive words of love and affirmation, but a sincere word of peace and kindness can also repair any breach. In fact, one of the secrets of a healthy marriage or relationship is the ability to effectively communicate. Remember, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” (Proverbs 15:1 NLT)
Sure, it’s okay to vent once in a long while, to get stuff off your chest. But be careful in whose direction you vent — and for how long. You don’t want to take out your frustrations on some poor innocent bystander, such as a loving spouse or loyal friend. It’s best to vent to God. He’s a good listener and never takes a dreamer’s doubts or a creator’s rantings personally. However, once you do get it out of your system — your fears, doubts, disappointments, disillusionments, and any emotional wounds you’ve suffered — turn it all over to God. Pray about it. Then leave it in His hands, and move on. You have places to go, and things to do.
Maintaining strong, healthy relationships is essential, and a careless word can break even the strongest ties. Words have caused important political elections to be lost, peace treaties to be broken, and even wars to be declared. The author Edward Bulwer-Lytton expressed the power of words best when he wrote, in 1839, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Whether spoken or written, words pack a punch that can help you prevail in nearly every trial.
Even your relationship to God is dependent on your words: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV) And whenever we fail (or stray from God), we can quickly return to His good graces with a few sincere words: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us….” (1 John 1:9 NIV)
Jesus said, “A good man produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45 TLB) Which takes us back to the importance of feeding our minds (the “heart” of the matter) with the Word of God, and its encouraging, refreshing, and uplifting message of hope. And afterward, maintaining that positive, faith-filled attitude we keep emphasizing.
Get into the habit of speaking out God’s Word. Feed your dreams and creativity by quoting His precious promises, such as “God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.” (Romans 11:29 GW) A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” (Proverbs 18:16 NKJV)
And to combat those times of weakness we all suffer, when we WANT to give someone a piece of our mind (the piece that’s mostly gristle), we need to be “prayed up”; we should daily ask the Lord to help us overcome any loose-lips tendencies we may have to spout off, offer our unwanted opinions, put people in their place, or demonstrate our acid wit. Ask God to “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Psalm 141:3 NLT) Seek His supernatural grace for your words: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 ESV)
can be constructive or destructive; facilitate your creative endeavors, and bring you closer to your dreams — or have a negative impact on you and the people you encounter.
peace or division; that either encourage and build people up, or tear them down emotionally. The creative choice is all ours, because “The tongue has the power of life and death….” (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)