Power of the Tongue

The tongue has the power of life and death ~ Proverbs 18:21

In his play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So that means that I could call a rose a weed, a fortress a pile of rubble and a strong man a useless weakling and it would have no effect on any of them. Honestly, I've never studied the effects of a rose or a fortress, but I've seen first-hand a strong man torn down and a weak man built up.

What if I told you that your tongue was a magic wand and anything you spoke became a reality? So, after you've listed all the houses and cars and riches you wanted, what else would you say? Would knowing you had that kind of power change how you spoke to your spouse, your kids, your family, your friends, your co-workers...? Your tongue is not a magic wand, but it does have the power the Bible speaks of and can produce life or death in another's life. Consider the impact your words are having...are you producing life or death?

God...calls things that are not as though they were. ~ Romans 4:17

Feelings

In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. ~ 1Samuel 3:1

The scripture says, "in those days." Some days, "those days" feel like these days. Have you ever noticed that some days your relationship with the Lord seems dry? Even though just a couple days ago you were on fire, today it seems like hard work to motivate yourself to even get in the Word or spend time in prayer. Why is that? Part of it is because our culture has shaped us to be motivated based up on "feelings." If we "feel" like doing something, we can be motivated to work out, eat right, etc., etc. But when we don't, we won't. Any kind of relationship worth having can't be done that way. So what should we do? 1) Be intentional. Make spending time with God and with family a priority. If you don't, other calendar items will quickly crowd out your calendar. 2) Be open. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. He appeared to Elijah in a still small voice. He will make Himself known to you in a way that is unique to you. But you need to be open and you can begin by spending the time. 3) Be determined. The funny thing about feelings is that they can be influenced so easily. On a rainy day, one person will want to sleep in and the next person will want to go play in the rain. On a hot day, one person will shut themselves inside and the next will enjoy it like there's no tomorrow. After a long and frustrating day, one person will sulk and want to shut out the world and the next will burn off the frustration through exercise and have the best evening ever. Feelings are feelings and they can't be used as a measuring stick of how much time and energy we're willing to invest into our relationships. Anything worth having is worth working for, especially in the are of our relationships. So make the commitment that today you're going to press in and press on, no matter what your feelings are telling you.

FOCUS

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ~ Romans 7:19

Just like driving, you will go where you turn your eyes or your attention. If you turn your eyes toward Jesus, you’ll drive straight, but as soon as you turn your eyes to the right or to the left, you begin to drift and may eventually crash. There are things we do that we don’t want to do—like repeating habits we didn’t like in our parents, or overeating, or addictions. And then there are things that we don’t do but wish we did or knew we were supposed to be doing—like exercising, eating right, spending time with the family, starting or pursuing a dream or career choice. And when we do the things we don’t want to do or don’t do the things we want to do, we criticize, beat up, and tear down ourselves. So what’s the answer? FOCUS.

Fellowship. You are not the only person who has ever encountered this thing. Spend time with other believers who can encourage you, lift you up and help move you along the right path. You’ll also want to start spending fellowship time with God. He knows the path He’s laid out for you and the one you’ve been on and He can quickly direct your steps to get you back on track.

Ownership. If you aren’t making good choices, the only person you have to blame is yourself. Owning it doesn’t mean living with it forever; it means taking responsibility for your actions—or lack of actions—and then moving forward.

Counsel. Proverbs 21:2 says, “All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.” We need to seek help and wisdom from other believers because when we are in the midst of situations, we don’t always see things clearly. If you see someone living the way you want to live, seek them for help, spend time with God and ask Him for help, but don’t continue to rely on your own counsel.

Utilize. God didn’t place you on an island by yourself to figure out your own problems. He surrounded you with resources: people. Some of those people have “been there, done that, moved on.” Others were never there, but are still good resources as to how to avoid future bumps in the road. When you’re stuck in a rut, use your “phone a friend” and get help getting out.

Start. We all have to start somewhere, sometime at something. Today’s the day! Never put off till tomorrow what you can begin today. You don’t have to conquer the world today, but you do have to start today. Today, take one small step forward. Tomorrow, take another small step forward. Keep going until you’ve reached your goal.

Hillsong sings, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” It’s about focus. When we stop looking at the problem, stop reliving it in our minds, and turn our full attention to Jesus, it’s amazing how our problems suddenly have no power over us at all and we become empowered to move forward.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. ~ Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Hillsong

Faith Work Out

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ~ Romans 12:6

Consider these two people: The first has a lousy diet and thinks exercise is walking from his chair to the kitchen and back. The second is in great shape, eats well, and works out regularly. If they both have to be on a flight leaving in 10 minutes and they are at the opposite end of the Atlanta airport, which one won’t have leg cramps and chest pains once he reaches the plane? Consider that these two people are like our faith walk and spiritual gifts. If the amount of time and purposefulness you put into growing your faith is more like the first person, then your gifts will never move past the beginning stage. If, however, you’re more like the second person, then there is no telling what God will do in and through you. As the scripture says, “Let him use [his gift] in proportion to [comparable or relative to the size of] his faith [conviction of the truth].” At the end of your life, when God asks you to give an account of all your actions and how you used the gifts He gave you, would you rather say you lived more like the first person or the second?

Picture This

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:15-16

Picture a man, someone you don’t know and have never seen or spoken to directly. The law says you must take to him a portion of your money and the things you own so that your sins will be forgiven. If you have a need, you must tell someone else, that you don’t really know, who will then tell the “big” man. This man will then pray on your behalf. This man does not know you, has never met you, and only hears about you when you’ve done wrong things or have troubles. To you, he’s like the Wizard of Oz, someone hiding behind a curtain who will never touch you, come near you or have anything to do with you. However, you are still expected to treat him with the greatest respect and honor.

Now picture a man who is like your best friend, only better. This man has worked where you’ve worked, he’s had heartache and understands your relationship issues. His family has said in the past that they were embarrassed and ashamed of him. But still he loves them and has forgiven them. He loves you and longs to help you out. No matter what else is going on, he will drop everything and come to your aid in your time of need. He likes to give you presents that say, “I was thinking of you,” or “Just because.” He’s excited when you’re excited. He’s sad when you’re sad. He’s got wisdom and wants to share everything he knows with you. He’s got nothing to hide from you, and wants you to feel as though you don’t have to hide anything from him. He will always love you, no matter what. Even if you do things that may hurt his feelings, he will still be your friend and love you more than anything else in the whole wide world.

Consider these two men. Now, which do you want to run to and share all of your secrets with?

Call It Out

The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. ~ Romans 4:17

We serve a God who brings life to the dead and speaks things into existence. Part of the reason we need to renew our minds is so that we can walk in the fullness of Christ, (see Romans 12:2). Grace gives us the fullness of Christ, but if our minds are still of the world and restricted to its limitations, then we will never live in the fullness of Christ. An example of the fullness of Christ is knowing that when we pray (with right motives, as it says in James), God will hear our prayers and answer them. When Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, died, Jesus said, “’Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me,’" (John 11:41-42). Jesus knew before He even opened His mouth that God was listening and would hear and answer His prayer, so when He commanded Lazarus come out of the grave, Lazarus—full of life—walked out.

What has died in your life? Is it a relationship, a dream, a hope? Take on the fullness of Christ that grace gives you, call the dead living and call things that are not as though they are! Thank you, Jesus, that __________ exists in my life. Thank you, Lord, that I have been healed. What can you speak and believe God to do in your life?

When Strength is but a Shadow

Know you what I love most about the story of David and Goliath? It's not that he fought well, but that he believed well. ~ One Night with the King

I can do a lot by my own strength, within my own power, but I cannot move mountains, I cannot defeat giants, and I cannot heal the sick. I cannot cause the blind to see, or the mute to speak, or the dead to rise. I cannot stop the sun, still the seas, nor defy the laws of physics. I can get dressed and hope not to stub my toe on anything. I can walk my dog and hope that he won't run away. I can drive to work and hope that no one hits me. I can work all day and hope that everything goes well. I can drive home and hope that I don't have any car trouble. I can do and hope for a lot of things, but the Truth I've discovered is that every time I need hope, I really need help...God's help. The Bible tells us that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," (Hebrews 11:1). God is the thing not seen and faith is everything I have hoped for, everything I need help doing. So, I can determine to continue to try to do things by my power and my strength, or I can stop lying to myself and realize that it's God's strength and the power of the Holy Spirit that I need to get me through my day. As the Bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us," (Romans 8:31).

"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. ~ Zechariah 4:6