What’s your message? Speak Life

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Proverbs 18:21

I talk to myself—out loud. It’s how I process things. But the truth is we all talk to ourselves every day.

We’re constantly talking to ourselves. We always are giving ourselves messages, interpreting our world and communicating to ourselves about our place in that world.

What messages are you telling yourself and what message are you giving the world about yourself?

Our words are reflections of our thoughts. Thoughts become words and words turn into actions. Words are the catalyst to actions. Words shape our reality. A war of words begins long before an actual strike is made in combat. Men die for ideas and those ideas are encapsulated in words.

Words are alive. Words have power. Words breathe and occupy space. God spoke a word and the world came into existence. When we speak we bring things into existence.

The Bible says that death and life are in our words. That’s power and also a great responsibility. Our words are like nuclear power. They can be used to destroy and maim or they can be used as a force to do good and provide service. The Bible says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Our words can be weapons of mass destruction or instruments of healing to others and ourselves.

Too often we speak death instead of life. We give ourselves negative messages: I’m a failure. I’m ugly. I’m stupid. I’m too fat. I’m too skinny. I can never do anything right. Nobody cares about me. I can’t do it.

What is the tape that keeps playing in your head? The negative messages that we give ourselves tend to seep out and we spread that negative energy to others and affect them. There was a character named Glum in a cartoon I used to watch called “Gulliver’s Travels.” Whenever the group was trying to do something, Glum would say, “We’ll never make it.”

Be still for a moment and listen to your inner thoughts. What is your message? Are you like Glum? Is your mantra, “We’ll never make it.” Change your message and instead of speaking death, speak life. Change your message from, “It will never happen” to “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Change your message of “Nothing good ever happens to me” to “With God, all things are possible.”

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. And may I add, as he speaketh so it shall be.


Reflection Question:

Are your words agents of healing or weapons of mass destruction?

What is the most frequent message you give yourself?

Meditation Verses:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

“From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands reward him.” Proverbs 12:14

“Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” Proverbs 4:24

“Pleasant words promote instruction.” Proverbs 16:21

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24

Application:

Write positive scriptures on note cards or post them on your wall or mirror. Read them out loud throughout the day or whenever a negative message starts to enter your mind.

Commit to fast a day from complaining and criticizing others and yourself. Commit to praising God, being thankful and complimenting others.

Maya Angelou on the Power of Words