Do you hear what I hear
Messages from the LORD for you
Words- We are what we say
Donna Stubbs 02-27-2009
We should think before we speak…and we really should consider what comes out of our mouth because, not only do our words directly affect us, but determine our future. God’s words created the heavens and the earth and because we are created in His image, our words create as well.
James 3 reminds us that the tongue is very powerful. Small things like our tongue can have great influence over our life and those whose lives we touch. A horse can be turned with a little bridle and a ship can be steered with a tiny rudder. Our out-of-control tongues are like deadly poison to our spiritual lives. We can speak things that are so damaging to the hearts of others.
Proverbs 18:21 confirms, “The tongue has power over life and death; those who indulge the tongue must eat its fruit.” Whatever you want out of life will come out of your mouth. God said in Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.”
Jesus said in Matthew 15:11: “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean but what comes out of his mouth.” And, He said in Matthew 12:35 “A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things.” When we speak death, we line up with Satan. John 10:10 says, “He comes to steal (our future) to kill (with sickness and disease) and destroy” (all the goodness in our life). We wonder why we are not enjoying more of the blessings of God and living an abundant life? It comes out of our mouth…we create our future with our mouth!
Remember the Golden Rule; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Proverbs 16:24 says “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
One of the most grievous things to the heart of God is all the criticism that goes on in the lives of Christians. Nothing stops revival like criticism. We have all sinned; none of us is perfect. What gives us the right to judge or criticize other people? God is calling us into a place of victory, a place where mercy triumphs over judgment. Remember the great debt you owed? It was lovingly and determinedly paid in full by Jesus. Our prayer should be for the Lord to put a guard over our mouth and thoughts so that we won’t wound or offend.
Begin to speak blessings and peace into your life and everybody else as well. Watch how it changes the situation and their life. It will also change your life. Begin to speak LIFE over yourself and begin to bless yourself; begin to love yourself. Sometimes we feel so guilty (condemnation from Satan) over our actions that it is difficult to love ourselves. When God brings correction to our lives, it is always life-giving and redemptive; that is how we know He loves us because He cares enough to correct us. God’s love is everlasting, unconditional, and never-failing. A wounded warrior is not effective in the battle, so quit beating yourself. Ask for forgiveness and go on. God’s mercies are new every morning!
If we want to bring our words into subjection and captivity to ourselves and to God, then we need to get free of the “strongholds” the enemy has upon our lives. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 calls those old thought patterns “strongholds”; they are traditions, speech patterns, and bad habits. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world (this is spiritual warfare). On the contrary, our weapons have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” How do we do that?? We have to discipline ourselves and bring those old word habits into submission by replacing them with God’s thoughts and God’s Word. We have the mind of Christ. We literally have to censor what we choose to think. Remember, the Holy Spirit is always positive and Satan is always negative. Satan’s intent is to bring guilt, fear, hopelessness, sin and death into your life.
Once we bring our thoughts into submission, we can live untroubled and have peaceful hearts by thinking on the good things in Philippians 4:8, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue (power), and if there be any praise, think on these things.” God richly bless you follow after Jesus.
