Speak Life

 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Proverbs 18:21

We all have people talking to us, people we're listening to on a daily basis (depending on how big your family is some of us have a LOT of people!) But who talks to you the most? You're probably thinking of a chatty family member or friend by now, but I'll tell you, the answer is - you.

You are the person you listen to the most because you are always with yourself! Every word you speak, every thought you think you hear it. 

When I think of Proverbs 18:21 I think about how my words impact others. I can speak life or death to others. But what about the person who hears me most? Am I speaking life or death to myself? 

Do you ever grumble or complain? Whether we grumble and complain out loud so other's can hear us or do it in our thoughts we're speaking death over ourselves. 

When I was in high school I didn't like to practice the piano. Every day I would grumble and complain to myself about how hard it was and how terrible I was, etc. One day the Lord (who also hears us as much as we hear ourselves) challenged me to practice the piano for a whole month without grumbling and see if I improved. I did improve and I came to really enjoy playing the piano. 

Now have you ever heard people talk about how the enemy "whispers" lies to us? What whisper? It sounds like a tape being played on repeat over the loudspeaker! Why? Because what was once a little whisper I received and started speaking over myself. 

How much death do I speak over myself everyday? Every time I grumble, complain, tell myself I'm not good enough, that I'm a failure, a bother, everyone thinks I'm weird, etc. 

We can speak life or death over people, and it's a very powerful thing. Yet, I have seen people speak life over another, but that person wouldn't receive it. The life someone else was speaking couldn't seem to penetrate the death they were speaking to themselves. 

When you speak life to yourself, it is impossible for you not to receive it. Choosing to speak or think words of life over yourself is the receiving. Even if you don't "feel" it, you receive it by choosing to say it.

How would our lives be changed if every morning we looked at ourselves in the mirror and said, "I am loved and cherish by God." Or every night said, "You did a good job today! You accomplished the things that mattered." (Even if there's still a long list of things you didn't get done.) 

What if when I felt like grumbling I spoke things I was thankful for instead? While my Marlo is sniffing every blade of grass in the backyard when I just want her to hurry up and go potty - "thank you Lord for giving me this little dog who doesn't bark and is content to snuggle on the couch with me when I'm not feeling good."

What if when I'm hearing the loudspeaker of how terrible I am I spoke the truth, nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:39) I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, His own special child, who He called out of darkness and is now living in His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

The death you have spoken over yourself might seem too big to overcome, but it's not because it was already defeated at the cross. Life won! We just need to start speaking life. So, say it. Say it!

Dear Father, we are weak and struggle under the pull of sin. Speaking death seems to come more easily to us than speaking life. But You have defeated death and sin. Teach us to speak our new language, the language of life. Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to chose life everyday in our words and thoughts. 

In Jesus Christ' name, amen.