Part 4 ... What if our words could really change things? (Chapter 2)
The Power of Our Spoken Words Can and Will Change Your World
Experience and common sense tell us that our words matter. Even taken as nothing more than a simple mode of communication between two people, our words carry, not just information, but emotional power. (James 3:5 “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!”) If for no other reason than the impact they have on our relationships, it pays to be aware of our words and the impact they carry. We are admonished to guard every word in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” What a compelling verse – telling us that we can indeed have authority over what comes out of our mouths, and that our words can spread grace to those within range of our speech.
But beyond that, the Bible speaks to the importance and power of our words in an even more powerful manner. Consider the weight of God’s words: By His word He created everything that is. (Genesis 1:6, 9, 11, etc.), (Romans 4:17 “…the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”) By His word He wrought the amazing works of the Old Testament.
By His spoken words Christ stilled storms
(Mark 4:36-40 “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”), shriveled an olive tree, commanded demons, raised dead people, and healed multitudes. And he tells us that by OUR words, we are saved. (Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”) His very words bring eternal life, (John 6:68), and by His words we have been authorized to do “greater things than these”.
Our spoken words flow from what we believe in our heart (Matthew 15:18 “...those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”) So what we believe is crucial to our salvation, as well as to what kind of life we lead here on earth. But the spoken word plays a role in these things also. In some manner, what we believe is made manifest in what we speak. God has ordered our world in such a way that what we truly believe is made to be when we speak Truth verbally. (Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”)
It follows that with our mouth we can claim everything that God has promised us. One of the ways we are made in His image is that our words have power. Romans 4:17 says that He speaks into existence that which does not exist. And Abraham’s faith in God’s words changed his world. Just as powerfully, with our mouth, we can erode faith, destroy relationships, and live out all the negativity that Satan would have for us. (Proverbs 13:3 “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”)( Proverbs 18:7 “A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”) Our words offer legal access to either the promises of God, or the attacks of Satan. (James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.”) The Lord God honors His word highly, (Psalm 138:2) and is looking out for it to perform it. (Jeremiah, 1:12).
Look at this passage for a moment: Matt. 12:34-37 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
Can you see the connection between what we believe in our heart, what comes out of our mouth, and the life that manifests as a result? If you read Job carefully you can see how his belief impacted his security, safety, prosperity and his family. (Job 3:25 “For what I feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded happened to me.”)
You can see it again in Proverbs 18:20. “From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it (indulge in it) will eat its fruit.” Here, wise Solomon warns us that our spoken words impact our physical experience.
Over and over again scripture reminds us that our words have great impact on our thoughts,
our lives, our circumstances, and our health. For instance, Proverbs 12:18 says, “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
For some reason God has set up our world in such a way that the physical is subject to the spiritual. And it works in four steps. First, God’s Word sets the absolute, foundational truth of a matter. Our belief in that Truth then changes our heart. Next, from our heart (our spiritual belief) flow our words, which in turn change the physical/material world we live in.
Keep in mind that God’s word NEVER changes. And we all have to admit that what we see and feel, the things we hear in the world – do change! Things change all the time. Things change from good to bad. Wait a bit and you’ll see that eventually bad things change to good. Reports change. The economy changes. Weather changes. Relationships change. Everything around us changes. But God’s word never has, never does, and never will.
So one lesson to learn here is to avoid building hope or trust in things that change. In the same way, we should never allow ourselves to be controlled by negative emotions that are caused by the many negative things around us – they will change, too! They are going to change! Trust God’s promises. They never change.
Another excerpt from my book "The Rest of The Gospel"
If you want the book now, you can get it at: 4
So so true. The tongue is rhe most powerful weapon . we can use it for the good or evil, depending what we have harboured in our hesrts and mind. Ones words can bring healing to some one hearing them abd on the other hand destroy them. The tongue is one of the hardest things to tame. thank you @changeyourworld you have shared a very important message. I love it God Bless you.
I'm glad you were encouraged by this post.
And grateful for your comment!
Isn't it humbling to know how God has entrusted us with such life-impacting power?
Absolutely. I don't know what I would do with out Him. Looking forward to more of your posts . God Bless you.
@nextgen622 @nobutsd @yowanetwork and @artywink - thanks for your upvotes. I'm grateful, and look forward to getting to know you!