Laura's Latest: Dealing with life and strife
One of the easiest and most detrimental traps I find I have fallen into is speaking my mind. Twenty-three years of being solely negative, insecure, jealous, suicidal and completely hopeless left me with a vocabulary that absolutely stunk and a mind that changed like the wind! I ran with every mood and feeling that I had and often got into trouble with others and myself.
My pastor explained recently that the devil has no authority to say ANYTHING bad about you or another, but he will try as hard as he possibly can to get you to say it. It took me a long while to grasp that my words were pants and I'm STILL working daily with the help of The Holy Spirit and good teaching to guard my mouth.
Renewing my mind through The Word of God helped me to see that what I was saying was bad for me and others and that I could really turn things around. Then the journey began and I started learning to put into practice what my heart knows is right. I understand the power of declaring God’s Word and I see it working in my life everyday. Yes, I slip up and can make mistakes (sometimes I lay down where I've fallen for a little bit and have a few extra Rich Tea biscuits before I give myself a spiritual slap in the face 😶 but no more!)
My goal is to keep moving, continue working toward my destiny and I know that through Christ I'm going to do better and better.
I've come a long way and I've got a long way to go, but that's the beauty of God’s Mercy, Grace, Patience and Love. He's a Good Good Father. I know I'm not the only person in the world who finds guarding their mouth a little trickier than some, so I want to share what I feel is helpful.
I have gathered some scriptures so we can look at the good and bad of our words and then focus on avoiding saying negative, hurtful or unnecessary things. Words have power so let's use them wisely.
The good, the bad and the ugly of our words and their effect on ourselves and others:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing
The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble
Conflict resolution, looking at who God says we are, the bigger picture and dealing with strife as Jesus teaches:
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth
So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive
Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out
The truly wise person restrains his words, and the one who stays calm is discerning
If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them
Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you
But each one must carefully scrutinise his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behaviour], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind
God's Word is sharper than any two edged sword, our weapon, so it makes sense to use it in our declarations. So instead of saying, "It's just the way I am!" or "I can't help it," let's try using our words to change our situation. Even If we don't FEEL like we have much control over our emotions or hormones or level of patience, if we change our words, we will change our heart and our behaviour. What we hear repeatedly we eventually believe. So let's start saying and doing now and wait for our 'feelings' to catch up later. These are some scriptures that I have been learning and declaring:
I am a ready listener. I am slow to speak and slow to take offence (James 1:19)
I think before I speak (Ecclesiastes 5:2)
I have a spirit of power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am gentle, patient and bear with others in love (Ephesians 4:2)
I listen to counsel and accept discipline (Proverbs 19:20)
I am a hearer and a doer of God's Word (James 1:22)
I listen closely to wisdom and direct my heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2)
I control and guard my mouth (Psalm 39:1)
I demolish arguments and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
When I speak, my words are wise and I give instruction with kindness (Proverbs 31:26)
I speak truth in love and grow more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15)
My conversation is gracious and I have the right response for everyone (Colossians 4:6)
I speak soft answers that turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)
I do everything without grumbling or arguing (Philippians 2:14)
Tackling this will be life changing. I know there are so many relationships and situations that would benefit from a little more patience, a little more understanding and a little less of our mouths! So let's move forward today knowing that we are unconditionally loved by God, fully equipped for every good work and totally able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us! If I could, i'd high five you right now.
