Sunday, September 11, 2011

Words

You know, words are really important to me. Actions sometimes speak louder than words, however . . words have no replacement either. I like words. Words and their meanings. I like that the spoken language, whatever it is, defines a day, a dream, a life. As the book of James in the Bible dictates, words have power. Power. So many people seek power on an every day basis. To possess it. To dethrone it. To idolize it. I do it. In my own way, I look for that person or thing around me that has "power" and I try and attach myself to it or embrace possessing it. Sometimes this is a humble search for me . . . God!

Sometimes God and HIS WORDS are my sought power source and in Him I rest my attention, heart, and security. Sometimes it's in something trivial such as my caffeine intake . . .no really! Sometimes I just don't feel the get go, the "power" in my day, so to speak without my coffee or Vanilla Coke/DP! Sometimes that power is in a seemingly secure person that is in my life. My excuse in that as a believer is this, "God brought this person to me as a part of My story, His story, surely this person can aid me in this or that way and can share a piece of their power to make my day, my dreams, my life . . . Better." Whether Godly or not so Godly, my search could be rather short.

Words. Words have power. I believe with all my heart that God made our mouths capable of speaking because He placed power in words. His apparent intention being to spread the truth of WHO HE IS and HOW ONE CAN ACCEPT HIS FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE, HAVING FORGIVENESS OF SINS BECAUSE OF HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION (Talk about power!). Although the power He placed in our words doesn't just end there. No, it becomes every day practical.

 I have the power to change your life. Does that sound arrogant? Probably. The thing is you have that power too, and at any time could also change mine. As to HOW we change it . . . Well that's where the bridle comes in. What? The bridle? Yes, the bridle . . . Our Holy Spirit driven conviction. James speaks of the bridle on a horse as a necessary form of discipline to keep the horse on the right path. Allowing the Holy Spirit to tame our tongue is the practical interpretation of this analogy.

I've ridden a horse. I've owned a horse. I've barrel raced in fact. I know, this city girl? Shocks me even still. Anyway, there was nothing that was more important to me when I mounted my horse than that the bridle was correctly placed (sometimes forced, depending on the orneriness of the horse) into the exact slot that causes the horse to be sensitive to the rider's lead. Let me stop here and tell you a little about my horse. My horse had a great name, Sky. I LOVED sky. A Palomino with a BIG heart and a will to win. My horse, Sky, was a brilliant follow. He and I grew close and when I touched his bridle in any special way, he moved wherever I asked him to. He was a special horse. He was special to me and he was special in another way as well. Sky was blind in one eye. Yes, you read that right but you can go back and check if you wish! Sky amazed us all as he weaved his way around barrels with great speed and unimaginable agility, all the while compensating for his disability. As awesome of a horse as my horse was . . . His bridle made all the difference.

My tongue can get away with me. I know this. Others know this! I smile just thinking about how well some others know this. Even now I have the heart to continue my ongoing apology for my mistakes in this sensitive area of my very verbal existence. For the better and sometimes the much worse of it, I'm a truth-teller. My bad behavior should never be excused by this fact. It's just that, a fact. I've been thinking about my verbal "freak outs" a lot recently. It's something the Lord is pointing at and nudging my heart to find His Holy Spirit's discipline in. Because of my searching for power in this area recently, I have come across the fact that many of my "freak outs" have been in the midst of some blindness to my circumstances. In some way, I have either allowed myself to be blinded by the truth or just from the love I should have in my heart despite the truth.

Truth hurts sometimes. I think of God's proverb where he says that it's better to receive a slap from a friend, than a kiss from an enemy. Hm. True. Hard true. A not so fun kind of true. My moments of verbal explosion are in essence an attempt to have power. Whether right or wrong in opinion, power makes me feel secure. In those moments, my bridal has slipped from it's perfect place around my tongue, possibly because of my blindness to my own condition or someone else's. What I need, is my Master's hand to slide it back into place. Or sometimes, force it back into place, if I'm fighting Him as an ornery horse might.

Words are powerful.

I remember a few words that were spoken to me atop a cool metal bunk bed in one of my many childhood homes by a dear friend who so obviously was "on fire" for God. LOVED. her Savior. My friend spoke words of life to me. Words that would stay with me for the rest of my life. Was she a perfect person? No. Did she make mistakes after that day . . . Haven't we all? Have I spent a lot of time with her, being reminded of those words? No. Did God use those words to light a spark that would soon fan a flame that will (I pray) continue to stoke the embers of others hearts for years to come? Yes. Yes, yes He did.

Have you ever had a person come up to you and say, "Do you remember when you said. . .? That just spoke to my heart so much so, that I have been blessed and have used that in my own life more than once. Thank you for that." Have you? The funny thing about that moment is that sometimes your original statement seems either trivial or possibly was altogether forgotten by you long ago. Words have power.

I'm looking at today. How did I speak to you? How did I "share my heart" with my loved ones? Did I talk about Jesus? Did I talk about my passions? Did I just talk about me? Did we engage in a lasting bit that we could both be blessed and challenged by . . . Or did we squander our minutes talking about what we don't know or worse, what we don't need to know?

Can we change it tomorrow? Yes. There we go! There's the answer! Short and sweet. Will we? Will I change my dialogue tomorrow to attempt as a flawed human being  to glorify my God and to build up my brothers and sisters, along with people in general? I DON'T KNOW! I know this . . . I'll think about it more. Awareness is the first step. I want to run a mile. No one can hold me accountable for every word but me.

I'm taking my own challenge. Pray for me and with me if you like, for God's discipline to ignite my tongue with His praise and to defeat my flesh of it's ugly verbal swagger.

God's power, defeats all other. By claiming to host the Holy Spirit in my life, I have also claimed His control over it. Accessing His powerful movement and discipline is actually quite simple, submission. I must submit my will to the bridle of Christ in me. Words are powerful.

Words can define a day, a dream, a life. May the power of my words define WHO CHRIST IS and HOW HE LOVES YOU. Blessings.


Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you, Oh God."

1 comment:

  1. Where's the BEEF?

    Right here!

    Maybe this is the reason why "truthful speech" and "the power of God" are written side by side in 2 Corinthians 6, hmm? Just a thought.


    Love this song, too. It's come in handy several times when I didn't have any "words to say"!

    ReplyDelete