We want to think we can get away with it.
That it doesn’t matter. { All those words we speak. }
But WORDS MATTER!!
Words are powerful.
Words are containers.
They can be filled with faith and hope and optimism.
Or they can be filled with doubt and despair and pessimism.
We need to learn how to best speak about ourselves, our lives, our dreams, and about other people.
How we speak to ourselves is sometimes overlooked, but it’s extremely important as we blaze new trails on our “Born to Bloom” journey.
We don’t want to get overly fearful and legalistic about making sure every word we speak is full of positivity, we want to be real, but what I’m talking about is habitual negativity–getting stuck in a rut of grumbling and complaining—-a negative mindset.
If there’s one thing that comes up time and time and time again in all the sermons, Bible studies, and books that I read—-even secular books about success—-it’s that we need to stay on the positive side.
We simply cannot be careless with the words we speak.
Jesus gets pretty serious about it, actually:
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36, 37
Not trying to scare us here, but, there it is again: Words matter.
So what can we do about it. How can we change the way we talk and think.
By letting the Holy Spirit help us renew our minds to the Word of God.
This has always been one of my favorite, mind-blowing scriptures:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
What we think, forms the words we speak. And in this scripture it says that when we let GOD transform our thinking, we become a new person—-and it is then we will know God’s will for us!
I have to repeat that! LETTING GOD CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK WILL LEAD US TO HIS WILL FOR US!
And how is this done?
By renewing our minds to HIS words.
Absolutely……AMAZING!
And, I might add… Doable.
And not expensive!
My suggestion (based on what I have personally done for years) is this:
Buy a pack of 3×5 cards.
Now, start writing. Find scriptures that you know that you need—-that SPEAK to you, and scriptures that God impresses on you that you need (they may be tougher, like those on pride, forgiveness, etc), and carry those cards around with you. Tape them on your mirrors. On the refrigerator. Set some next to the places where you pray and workout.
I carry these cards (I cut the 3×5 cards in half) on my walks. I say them over and over until they end up being memorized.
As I do this, GOD’S WORDS ARE TRANSFORMING ME—from the inside out!!
I don’t even have to understand how it works! Just like putting food into my mouth and swallowing it, it is then out of my control. I don’t need to understand how the body processes and assimilates the food. It just does. And so it is when we “eat” God’s Words. It nourishes and brings supernatural LIFE to our spirit, soul, and bodies. It causes me to change the way I think, speak, and act. And, in addition, I’m learning what His good and pleasing and perfect will for me is!
We all want to know what God’s will for our life is! THIS is how to discover it.
It’s that “hanging on the Vine” principle. We hang, absorb, and become.
We bloom.
God does “the work” in us. But we have a part. And He will even help us do our part! Sheer will power won’t be enough. We need the power of God’s Word to help us!
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13
Just this one practice can bring radical change to your life and circumstances. Please don’t underestimate the power in doing this. There is even scientific evidence to back it up. (Read one of Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book to learn more about that if it will help motivate you even more to give it a try. One of them is recommended below.)
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind ~ Joyce Meyer
30 Days to Taming Your Tongue ~ Deborah Smith Pegues
Deliver Me From Negative Self Talk: A Guide To Speaking Faith-Filled Words ~ Lynn R. Davis
Me, Myself, and Lies: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself ~ Jennifer Rothschild
The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word ~ Joyce Meyer
Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds ~ Beth Moore
Renewing the Mind: The Foundation of Your Success ~ Casey Treat
Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health ~ Dr. Caroline Leaf
LINK: Your Personality Type (luggage, if you haven’t done those yet)
LINK: Your People (if you are ready to move on from the baggage and the luggage)