Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Faultier words have never been spoken. Most of us are not walking around on crutches due to someone breaking our bones. However, we have been crippled at some point, because of the words of other people. The problem with words is that a lot of us don't understand its purpose. Most of us believe words are only used to communicate. We understand verbal and written words are used to share feelings and emotions as well as transfer knowledge and facts. But communication is the secondary purpose of words. Creation is its primary purpose.
God spoke the very first words of our known universe. Notice, he wasn't talking to anyone. He spoke in order to create, not communicate. Words are the seeds of creation. God didn't create light by thinking about it. He didn't meditate on it. He didn't write it down and put it under his pillow or stick it on the bathroom mirror. He spoke it. God used the spoken word as the tool of choice to create and shape this world into existence.
Words not only have meaning, they have power. Words always create FIRST, and communicate second. When I give someone encouragement, I unknowingly create a feeling and emotion that translates into that person desiring to continue and exceed expectations. Even though my comment was meant to communicate praise or recognition, I ended up creating a positive and fertile environment for more fruit. The opposite happens when I give discouragement. My intention may be to communicate disapproval, but I am in danger of creating a negative environment that demotivates and causes that person to feel personal rejection.
It's not that hard a concept when you think about it. When someone receives a standing ovation or trophy, we don't expect them to stand there like their from Vulcan and acknowledge that they were just doing their job. Everyone takes it personal when they receive praise and recognition. We can't help it. So we shouldn't act surprised when people take it personally when we hit them with criticism or disapproval. We often defend ourselves by saying, "its just business." We say, "don't take it personal, here comes some constructive criticism". Constructive criticism is one of the most brainless terms in the English language. It basically means, I'm going to build up, BY TEARING DOWN! It's disingenuous, and it doesn't translate into the real world. There is no such thing as "constructive criticism" when your wife is trying on a new outfit.
It's interesting that God said "death" before he said "life". Perhaps it is because He already knows what we are predisposed to. I've never had to excuse myself from a family meal because someone was being too kind. I've never had to turn off the television because the news was just too good. I've never kept what God was telling me, a secret, because I knew my friends would be too supportive. When we make our pros and cons list, we don't need help on the cons side. When we want to go back to school, we have plenty of reasons why we shouldn't, and only a couple of why we should. When couples are separated, they can talk for hours about the reasons they should get a divorce, but rarely do they mention reasons why they shouldn't. We have no problems justifying why we can't do things, and we will gladly help other come to the same conclusion.
Thank God it doesn't say, you are snared by the thoughts of your mind. The Bible doesn't say that you are what you think. Most of my thoughts are not pure, honest, and good. But that doesn't mean that I am those things. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God judges our thoughts. It says that God judges our hearts. You can't control what comes into your brain, but you can control what you think and meditate on. And you can certainly control what comes out of your mouth. Your success, prosperity, and fulfillment in life hinges on what you believe about yourself. Do you believe what God says about you, or do you believe what other people say about you?
Words, like guns, are amoral. They can be used for good as well as evil. Words can build up, but they can also tear down. Words don't know motive or intent. Have you ever had to defend yourself because you said something, that you didn't mean? Most of us have had to go back and explain ourselves, because we used the wrong words. If only words knew our heart and intentions before they decided to fly off our tongues. We've all heard the expression, "think before you speak."
We don't get any mulligans when we speak before thinking. The best we can do is get out the ketchup, because it makes the crow easier to swallow. You know, Microsoft Office had some annoyances, but their heart was in the right place.
Positive confession is not the same as positive thinking. Thinking positive causes you to face the right direction, but in reality, it gets you nowhere. Positive thinking is like believing in God. Most people believe in God, but wooptido, so what? Believing in God doesn't change your life, it just means you're not an idiot. Many people have said "I believe in God", but that's not the same as saying, "I agree with God". Our eternity isn't based on believing with our brain that the life we're living isn't an accident. Our eternity is based on confession. It is based on agreeing with God. Our salvation in Jesus is made manifest by us speaking God's light into our existence. It's not a head knowledge. It's a heart knowledge. We are not what we believe in our brains. We are, however, what we believe in our hearts. God existing in our brains doesn't change us, God existing in our heart does.
There exist among us, a 'war of the words'. Some words come straight from our brains and out of our mouth. Some originate from our hearts. When disciplining my son, I often have him repeat words back to me. I know that when he says them, they are not coming from his heart. My goal is to have him repeat them often enough so that they will eventually BE in his heart. Some of us have heard negative things repeated to us so often, that they are now part of who we believe ourselves to be. Some of us have been called losers so much that we believe in our hearts that we are, and we act accordingly.
The words of our hearts and the words of our mind are in constant battle. This is the same battle that causes a 80 pound woman to look into a mirror and believe she is fat. It doesn't matter that the eyes connected to her brain see bones poking through her skin. Her wounded heart is speaking louder than her brain. We are who we believe in our hearts. Whether or not our heart is telling us the truth, is irrelevant.
So how do we fight this battle? How do we know who to believe? Do we believe what our parents, friends, and teachers say about us? Do we believe "science" and our brains. Do we believe our feelings and our hearts? The answer is simple. We believe God. Everything else changes. Feelings, people, and science are always changing. We need to believe and confess something that never changes. We need to believe what He says about us. We need to confess with our mouth, what He already said.
Most of us are carrying around a lifetime of pain and guilt, created by the words of other people. The only remedy is to create a new life using the words of God. Positive thinking won't make it better, but positive confession will. If the words of other people and your own mind got you where you are today, just think about what the words of the living God will do for your life. Don't just stay positive. Don't just think positive. Speak positive! Words are not magical, they are powerful. So powerful, that heaven requires you to SPEAK them.
Most people won't come over for dinner, unless you invite them first. Jesus is one of those people. He couldn't have made it any easier.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3
God spoke the very first words of our known universe. Notice, he wasn't talking to anyone. He spoke in order to create, not communicate. Words are the seeds of creation. God didn't create light by thinking about it. He didn't meditate on it. He didn't write it down and put it under his pillow or stick it on the bathroom mirror. He spoke it. God used the spoken word as the tool of choice to create and shape this world into existence.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3
Words not only have meaning, they have power. Words always create FIRST, and communicate second. When I give someone encouragement, I unknowingly create a feeling and emotion that translates into that person desiring to continue and exceed expectations. Even though my comment was meant to communicate praise or recognition, I ended up creating a positive and fertile environment for more fruit. The opposite happens when I give discouragement. My intention may be to communicate disapproval, but I am in danger of creating a negative environment that demotivates and causes that person to feel personal rejection.
It's not that hard a concept when you think about it. When someone receives a standing ovation or trophy, we don't expect them to stand there like their from Vulcan and acknowledge that they were just doing their job. Everyone takes it personal when they receive praise and recognition. We can't help it. So we shouldn't act surprised when people take it personally when we hit them with criticism or disapproval. We often defend ourselves by saying, "its just business." We say, "don't take it personal, here comes some constructive criticism". Constructive criticism is one of the most brainless terms in the English language. It basically means, I'm going to build up, BY TEARING DOWN! It's disingenuous, and it doesn't translate into the real world. There is no such thing as "constructive criticism" when your wife is trying on a new outfit.Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21
It's interesting that God said "death" before he said "life". Perhaps it is because He already knows what we are predisposed to. I've never had to excuse myself from a family meal because someone was being too kind. I've never had to turn off the television because the news was just too good. I've never kept what God was telling me, a secret, because I knew my friends would be too supportive. When we make our pros and cons list, we don't need help on the cons side. When we want to go back to school, we have plenty of reasons why we shouldn't, and only a couple of why we should. When couples are separated, they can talk for hours about the reasons they should get a divorce, but rarely do they mention reasons why they shouldn't. We have no problems justifying why we can't do things, and we will gladly help other come to the same conclusion.
You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2
Thank God it doesn't say, you are snared by the thoughts of your mind. The Bible doesn't say that you are what you think. Most of my thoughts are not pure, honest, and good. But that doesn't mean that I am those things. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God judges our thoughts. It says that God judges our hearts. You can't control what comes into your brain, but you can control what you think and meditate on. And you can certainly control what comes out of your mouth. Your success, prosperity, and fulfillment in life hinges on what you believe about yourself. Do you believe what God says about you, or do you believe what other people say about you?
Words, like guns, are amoral. They can be used for good as well as evil. Words can build up, but they can also tear down. Words don't know motive or intent. Have you ever had to defend yourself because you said something, that you didn't mean? Most of us have had to go back and explain ourselves, because we used the wrong words. If only words knew our heart and intentions before they decided to fly off our tongues. We've all heard the expression, "think before you speak."
We don't get any mulligans when we speak before thinking. The best we can do is get out the ketchup, because it makes the crow easier to swallow. You know, Microsoft Office had some annoyances, but their heart was in the right place.Positive confession is not the same as positive thinking. Thinking positive causes you to face the right direction, but in reality, it gets you nowhere. Positive thinking is like believing in God. Most people believe in God, but wooptido, so what? Believing in God doesn't change your life, it just means you're not an idiot. Many people have said "I believe in God", but that's not the same as saying, "I agree with God". Our eternity isn't based on believing with our brain that the life we're living isn't an accident. Our eternity is based on confession. It is based on agreeing with God. Our salvation in Jesus is made manifest by us speaking God's light into our existence. It's not a head knowledge. It's a heart knowledge. We are not what we believe in our brains. We are, however, what we believe in our hearts. God existing in our brains doesn't change us, God existing in our heart does.
For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he will be. Proverbs 23:7
There exist among us, a 'war of the words'. Some words come straight from our brains and out of our mouth. Some originate from our hearts. When disciplining my son, I often have him repeat words back to me. I know that when he says them, they are not coming from his heart. My goal is to have him repeat them often enough so that they will eventually BE in his heart. Some of us have heard negative things repeated to us so often, that they are now part of who we believe ourselves to be. Some of us have been called losers so much that we believe in our hearts that we are, and we act accordingly.
The words of our hearts and the words of our mind are in constant battle. This is the same battle that causes a 80 pound woman to look into a mirror and believe she is fat. It doesn't matter that the eyes connected to her brain see bones poking through her skin. Her wounded heart is speaking louder than her brain. We are who we believe in our hearts. Whether or not our heart is telling us the truth, is irrelevant.
So how do we fight this battle? How do we know who to believe? Do we believe what our parents, friends, and teachers say about us? Do we believe "science" and our brains. Do we believe our feelings and our hearts? The answer is simple. We believe God. Everything else changes. Feelings, people, and science are always changing. We need to believe and confess something that never changes. We need to believe what He says about us. We need to confess with our mouth, what He already said.Most of us are carrying around a lifetime of pain and guilt, created by the words of other people. The only remedy is to create a new life using the words of God. Positive thinking won't make it better, but positive confession will. If the words of other people and your own mind got you where you are today, just think about what the words of the living God will do for your life. Don't just stay positive. Don't just think positive. Speak positive! Words are not magical, they are powerful. So powerful, that heaven requires you to SPEAK them.
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Most people won't come over for dinner, unless you invite them first. Jesus is one of those people. He couldn't have made it any easier.
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