Words, words, words, power-filled words! Words that build or words that tear down. Words that give life or words that bring death. The choice is ours. Let’s evaluate the significant power that is held in our words.
Roxanne Parks
Day 1
Scriptures: Proverbs 18:21, James 3:3-6, Proverbs 16:27-28, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 18:4
The Power of the Tongue
Life and death are harnessed in the power of our tongue! Do we believe this? Even though the tongue is a small thing, it can make grand speeches. A tiny spark, also a small thing, can set a great forest on fire. The rudder of a ship is another small thing that can direct the course of a large vessel. Among all the parts of our body, the tongue is the most powerful and can set your world on fire or breathe life into a weary soul. You choose.
The Word tells us that our words can be like a scorching fire, separating close friends, stirring up anger, and providing the folly of fools. In contrast, the Word also says that our tongue can speak words that bring life … words like apples of gold, life-giving water, or honey to the soul. Our words have an impact for good or ill.
Our tongue and its power to use words is a unique and influential gift from God. When we read the book of Proverbs, we must notice that verse upon verse about the power of our words keep jumping off the page. Proverbs 12:6 teaches that our words have the power to destroy and the power to build up. Are we using the words from our tongue to build up people or destroy others? Who’s in charge of your tongue? Who can we blame when hurtful things come tumbling out of our mouths? It is imperative that we make a conscious decision to control the output of our own tongues.
Since our powerful, positive, and beautiful words can heal and uplift, we must be lavish in these words. When spoken with truth, our words have the ability to change lives. Stop and think about how you communicate. Do your words encourage people to achieve greatness? Do your words support and help someone who is suffering? Do your words nurture, nourish, and inspire your own children.
Sadly, emotions like hatred, fear, anger, doubt, frustration, and resentment can be expressed and fueled by words as well. Whether words are written or spoken, they have the power to break and destroy healthy environments, as well as relationships.
Years ago, I accepted the challenge presented in Ephesians 4:29 which states, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” What a powerful directive. This would be a project in taming my tongue. Witnessing the barren desert of hurtful words, I was excited to go on this new life-giving adventure. I wanted to speak life into my world starting with my own tongue.
Since our tongue wields the mighty power for life or for death, we must be mindful of what we say and how we say it. Consider your words. Your words can change everything!
Ponder:
Small. Quick. Easy. Consider the impact of your words. How can you speak more life-giving truths and not words that destroy?
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to become super aware of the power in my tongue and my chosen words. Help me to speak life and not death.
Day 2
Scriptures: Matthew 15:18-19, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8, Psalms 19:14, Matthew 12:34
Think About What You Think About
There is life-giving power in our thoughts. Our thoughts matter. Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) states, “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Our thoughts matter as out of the abundance of our thoughts flow our words. The thoughts and inclinations of our heart shape the reality of who we are. They shape our thinking which will ultimately shape our words and therefore, our actions. What we say matters but what we think matters even more. Scripture tells us to think about, even dwell on, that which is praiseworthy. Do we actually invest in and prioritize this obedience?
There are many books written that examine how our words are simply the vehicles that convey our thoughts and emotions. What you put in your mind has an effect on what you think. Does “trash in equal trash out?” If so, our thoughts should be considered our highest priority, especially since the health and welfare of our lives are the by-product. Our enemy wants our minds filled with all sorts of trash and vain imaginations. Let’s think about what we think about.
Neuro Linguistic Programming acknowledges the fundamental connection between the brain (neuro) with our thoughts, language (linguistic) as our words, and our internal and external behaviors or actions (programming). This school of thought considers the practical application of thought awareness as it relates to positive healthy living.
Since we find what we are looking for, we have to really think about what we are looking at. As the story goes…there was a vulture and a hummingbird flying over the same desert. The vulture was looking for death and decay to eat on. The vulture found death and decay. By contrast, the hummingbird was looking for life in the nectar of a flower. The hummingbird found life. They both found what they were looking for. Be very careful what you look for, what your think about, and what you let go into the windows of your mind. For out of the abundance of our thoughts our words flow.
2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us that we are to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” It is possible to live a life aware of our thoughts and take them captive! God gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us to do so. Taking your thoughts captive simply means gaining control over what you think about yourself and life.
When we dwell on all our blessings, the character of our loving God and Father, and all His beauty seen in nature, then we live from those settling truths. However, whenever we think about what we don’t have and what is wrong with our world, we can struggle with depression and anxiety. There is a battlefield in your mind. Your life will always move in the direction of your strongest thoughts. So arm your mind and thoughts with life-giving truth!
Ponder:
Take time to consider your thoughts throughout the day. Are they life-giving and positive? Are they negative? What input establishes your thoughts each day?
Prayer:
Lord, help me be cognizant of my thoughts as they lead to my words. I want life-giving thoughts to lead my tongue to life-giving words. I need your Word of Truth to dwell in my thoughts. Help me take every thought captive that doesn’t align with Your truths.
Day 3
Scriptures: James 3:9-12, Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 15:4, 1 Peter 3:10, Proverbs 21:23
Choosing to Speak Life
What we say matters. Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this power constructively, building up others, or destructively tearing them down. It only takes a few words to hurt someone. And those wounds may heal but they leave scars that never disappear. Our words have enormous power with the ability to help or to harm, to heal or to hurt, to lift or to destroy, to build up or to tear down, to offend or to befriend, to affirm or to alienate, to comfort or to criticize.
The words spoken in our homes have a profound and astounding impact for future health and well-being. Parents can lash out with tongues that slice and dice and totally devastate their children. And child can explode at their parents with words that level the entire family like a bomb. When we react and then respond to a situation with really destructive words, the implications can be overwhelming and soul-destroying for the recipient. It’s very easy to put voice to our feelings and thoughts; however, it takes control, strength, and absolute integrity to express ourselves in a positive way no matter the situation. Stop and take a breath before you speak, especially when you are stressed. As parents, we need to speak life into our children from the day they are born.
Spouses must consider the power in their words to one another. Our jobs, the world news, children and life itself are often wearing. We need to build our marriages and our homes with positive uplifting encouragement that comes from a life-giving faith and not from trauma, anxiety or fear.
Joyce Landorf Heatherley wrote a book called Balcony People. Some people are in the ‘balcony’ of your life, cheering you on, energizing you with their affirmation. Others are in your ‘basement’ doing exactly the opposite. This book is about being a ‘balcony person.’ Are you a balcony person? Or a basement person?
Satan’s schemes to get us to underestimate the power of our words. Since his nature is to destroy, he works constantly to get your words flowing in a negative direction. Don’t let him succeed! He knows your words aren’t meaningless or powerless. They have creative power, just as God demonstrated when He created the heavens and the earth with His words. Now, we have the authority to do the same thing here on earth.
Contemplate the fact that your words hold incredible power. You have the power to influence and change the lives of everyone you share your world with…your family, your friends, your neighbors and the stranger passing by. It is your choice to use words that inspire and build or destroy and tear down. Remember, once said, your words cannot be retracted.
Pay attention to your language.
Choose to speak life!
Ponder:
Consider the power of each of your words to edify and lift or to crush and destroy. How can you make a more concerted effort to speak life into others?
Prayer:
Oh Lord, help me to be cognizant of each word that proceeds from my mouth. Teach me to speak life-giving truths into the hearts of others.
Day 4
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8, John 8:44, Deuteronomy 30:19, Romans 12:2
Self-Talk
The loudest voice we hear is our own voice. The voice inside of us…our self-talk. So quiet, but so powerful. Self-talk is a real deal. Self-talk is something we do naturally throughout our waking hours. It is a form of neuro-linguistic programming. Because of its repetitive nature, it has the potential to mold and sculpt our consciousness.
Our enemy is a destroyer. He likes to bring lies in from early childhood and then convince us that these false beliefs are really our truth. The only thing true about us is what God, the Knitter, Knower, Designer, Creator, says about us. Can we differentiate these two voices? One brings life and the other brings death, usually a slow burdensome death.
We have discussed that our thoughts bubble out into our words. Then we hear our “self” speak about our “self.” What we speak often becomes our reality. If we think/say that we are dumb, stupid or fat we likely live a life behaving exactly as we speak. What if we agreed with our Creator and called ourselves fearfully and wonderfully made? A masterpiece? A daughter of the King? Would we live differently? When we think differently, we live differently. Changing the way you think changes your perspective which changes what you say and how you act in the world.
Positive self-talk: People are becoming more aware that positive self-talk is a powerful tool for increasing our self-confidence and curbing negative emotions. It is a phenomenal strategy for change. Positive words are good for our health as they help boost our confidence, improve our mood, eliminate stress and improve heart health and well-being. People who can master positive self-talk are thought to be more confident, motivated, and productive. God created us for life and life abundantly. Does your self-talk align with His plan and Words over you?
Negative self-talk: We are also becoming aware of the effects of our inner critic, our negative self-talk. Negative self-talk can influence your self-esteem, your outlook on life, your energy levels, your relationships, and even your health. By taking note of negative self-talk, we can begin the necessary process of interrupting this destructive habit. It’s time to silence that negative voice in our head and speak life and truth into our lives.
Our self-talk matters. Pay attention. More often than not, it is so routine to speak negatively about yourself and to yourself that you are completely unaware that you are doing it. I wonder if, for the next twenty-four hours, you would take the time to pay attention to your thoughts and also take notice of how you speak about yourself? Make a commitment to eliminate negative self-talk. Then align your thoughts and words with His power-filled truths.
Ponder:
In what ways can you align your self-talk with what God says about you? Are you kind to yourself? Do you know and speak out your identity in Christ?
Prayer:
Lord help me believe that I am who you say that I am. Help Your voice be the loudest voice in my life. Let me speak Your heart into my heart.
Day 5
Scriptures: Psalms 19:14, Psalms 119:171-172, Proverbs 18:4, Matthew 12:37
Words to Live By
Since the enemy lies to us, we need to decide to speak power and truth back to him! We need to take action steps to turn the tide of negative words and thoughts. We need power-filled WORDS TO LIVE BY. And then we need to speak them over and over until they reach our hearts and our thoughts.
The truest thing about me is always what God says about me…not what I think or feel and not what others say, think, or do. We can become so paralyzed by lies and false beliefs that we miss the sweet plan of the Lord by a thousand miles. Study His Word. Let your faith speak and then ask God to help you with any unbelief.
We all need to make a renewed commitment to quit the negative self-talk. Just like any toxic bad habit, you can decide to stop this behavior. It may take time, perseverance, attention, and strength to quit negative self-talk completely because for many of us it has become so deeply ingrained, it is almost second nature. Once you are aware that you are doing it, understand that you will need to keep interrupting yourself and your thoughts to stop it altogether. Becoming aware of this behavior is the key to quitting.
When we take control of our thoughts and our words, we take back our life! I challenge you to create a list of daily affirmations to speak to your SELF…words to live by. This exercise is an important step in taking control of our thoughts and subsequently our words. It is time to practice speaking power and truth back into our lives by writing daily affirmations.
First, start with any negative thoughts or self-talk that dominate or frequent your thinking. List any lies that you are believing. What negative truths weigh you down and hinder you from living your best life? If our thoughts, self-talk, or words do not align with God’s truth, we need to identify them.
Secondly, find scriptures as antidotes for these negative thoughts or lies. These spiritual truths can free you from those lies and stronghold/patterns. Take your thoughts and words captive to His truths! Choose words in alignment with the Word of God
Lastly, study these scriptures and craft positive statements, agreeing with them that you can claim and speak back into your life. These are positive affirmations that line up with TRUTH. Make your list. What affirmations can you speak to bring God’s glory and better results to your life?
Speaking these affirmations daily will help you will begin to take control of your life by getting control of your tongue. Refuse to speak anything other than the Word of God about your life or situation. Take authority over your life with scriptures and the power of your own spoken words of affirmation. These are your WORDS TO LIVE BY.
Ponder:
What are some thoughts and lies going through your head that do not align with God’s Word? Ponder choosing life-giving truths to replace those thoughts.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to speak and live from Your truths about me. Often, I feel so trapped in negativity and the weight of the world on my shoulders. Help me search for Your life-giving truths and meditate on them daily.
Day 6
Scriptures: Matthew 6:33, Psalms 119:105, Psalms 63:1-5, 2 Timothy 3:16, Ephesians 5:16
Social Media
I couldn’t close this SPEAK LIFE Bible plan without commenting on the Social Media world that we live in. Without a doubt, social media is a HUGE influence on our thoughts and, therefore, on our minds. This is a very dominating source of input. Have you considered the positive, life-giving value of social media versus the negative and destructive trap that it usually is?
So many people these days suffer from anxiety and depression. I believe it could be traced back to an overwhelming amount of negative input as well as to a minimal amount of life-giving time in nature or the Word of God. Whether it is your TV, FB account, Twitter account, or Instagram account, you need to consider your screen time. Most of us would be surprised to learn the number of hours that we truly spend with our faces looking into a screen. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that there are some life-giving pictures, posts, and videos available. But, by far, we are filling our minds with a lot of trash, self-glorification, and pontification through so much negative input. Most of us are ignorant of the correlation between screen time and depression. Most of us don’t consider that INPUT affects OUTPUT. We don’t need to worry about anyone else’s opinions, only God’s.
This world, the news, and our circumstances could have us feeling like we are walking in a desert or a dry wasteland. Our souls thirst for life and must be fed with life-giving food. His Words. His creation. His fellowship. Are you feeling depressed from walking too long in the desert or dry wasteland of social media and screen time? Come to the living water and let Him satisfy your soul. Turn off those screens and open the Word of God. Ask Him to meet you there and make His Word alive. Then get outside. Take a walk. Fly a kite. Read a good book. Meet with a life-giving friend.
May I challenge you to take a sabbatical from social media? Pray about when to do this and then set an amount of time. It will be a fasting of sorts. Afterward, if you feel that the sabbatical was valuable, commit to limit your return to social media. Consider only posting uplifting or Christ-centered content. Since there has been so much division in our country, decide that you will bring something that would edify, inspire and speak life to a hurting world.
Life can be so much simpler and less stressful. We can have so much more hope. We need to use the time that we would be on a screen reading about stuff that doesn’t matter and use it to spend time with Someone who does matter!
If you want to live life, speak life, and give life to the full, then you must consider the INPUT of your days. Change your input, change your output. Our days are fleeting. Start NOW.
Ponder: How can you make changes to decrease or eliminate your social media screen time? What are some productive things that you could do with your extra time?
Prayer: Oh Lord! Help me limit my screen time and increase my time with You. I want to live boldly and speak life into the hearts of others. I know that it starts with me.