In Luke 6, Jesus Christ teaches us about the importance of having compassion for others. In Luke 6:36, he tells us that we must be compassionate, just as our Heavenly Father is compassionate. This cements the reality that we are to take on the nature of our Dad, and become like His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ in every way. Our Lord and Savior also warns us not to judge others, because if we judge others, we will be judged. If we condemn others, we will be condemned. Jesus tells us to forgive and we will be forgiven. He wants us to realize that the consequence of every negative we put out there will come back to us, and it will sting at a level far greater than our initial negative investment. Jesus Christ cosigns this in Luke 6:38(NLT) when he tells us, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” This is the law for both good and bad actions.
Another way of saying this is that for every action there is a reaction. Believers have sat on the sidelines of this truth for many years because they didn’t understand it. Many thought it was new age gobbly-gook, and this is why they didn’t pay close attention to their deeds and words. Now we know better. Everything from the least to the greatest deed and word that we do and speak will yield a consequence that will impact the kind of future we have. For some, this is too much truth to process. For others, it is simply one more of God’s laws that they will ignore, but for the believer it should represent the ginormous potential that God has given us to access and build for ourselves a more than abundant life. We can help shape our tomorrows by the words we speak!
James 3:5-6(NLT) tells us, “5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” To see the reflection of this in your own life, think back to a time when someone said something to you that may have hurt your feelings. Whether it was gossip or negativity from a family member, close friend, or co-worker; think about how it made you feel. Then contrast this with an occasion of hearing words from someone that inspired you, or maybe you received a compliment that made you feel good on the inside. In these instances, a person added or subtracted from you based on something as small as their tongues. They either spoke words of fire from hell or words of love from heaven. Their words may have altered something in your life for all time.
Words have impact! They pack a powerful punch for the Kingdom of God or for the kingdom of darkness. This is why God tells us to be ever so careful to speak the positives of His Word over our lives, and do not speak death. It’s because words have transformative power! We see this very clearly with the gift of salvation. To receive it, we must believe in the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we must confess that he is Lord of our lives. Coupled with the belief in our hearts, the words we use to confess that Jesus is Lord and to ask God’s forgiveness transfer us from death to life!
Many single Christian women have not used their words effectively, because they’ve not understood how their past confessions have either helped or hindered them on the path to marriage. They’ve doubted God’s provision, and we should never do this. We must repent if we have spoken words of unbelief or made wrong confessions. If you have not made a habit pattern of speaking life, now is the time. Purposely allow your conversations to be filled with truth and never as a tool for destruction.
Our tongue is something to be reckoned with because it’s such a powerful weapon. One mistake you don’t ever want to make is to allow your emotions to get the best of you, to the point you hurt others intentionally with destructive words. This is a habit that must be broken before marriage. Not breaking it means that God’s love isn’t fully developed in our hearts. Our magnet for pulling love to us is greatly hindered when we haven’t renewed our minds in this area.
Proverbs 18:21(NLT) says, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” As born-again Christians, we have a responsibility to be vigilant about what we speak, when we speak, and how we use our words. If we’re not careful, the words we say can cut deeper than any weapon. It will injure others, and then boomerang right back on us. Find ways to speak life over your own existence, and into the lives of the people around you by uplifting and inspiring them in the goodness of God. Hold fast to the promise of matrimony should you desire it, and continually declare God’s Word, because it will come to pass according to the words you speak to back up your faith.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Words You Speak Pack a Powerful Punch”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.