At times it may seem challenging to self edit your responses on the average day, but controlling your words is a key to a successful life.
Now, this is not the same as keeping quiet and never having a response. In fact, I mean quite the opposite.
The Bible compares the human tongue to that of a rudder of a ship, directing the course of your life.
“3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”
James 3:3-5
Not only is it compared to such an integral part of a ship, we’re warned that it is need of being tamed, directed and put into a strict regime in order to achieve its potential so it’s an asset and not a liability.
Agreeing with what the bible says is true allows us to not only allows us to align our words and actions with truth so we can gain traction and move forward into what God has ordained for us, helping us distinguish between truth and a lie.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
But make no mistake, aligning our words with lies has the same potential, except it actively moves us in the opposite direction of God’s good plan.
This is why meditation is so important. As we meditate upon the Word, we access a clarity, power, truth, and realm that puts us far above the enemy’s tactics. Like an Airbus that takes off on an overcast day, as it quickly gains altitude and breaks through the gray, thick cloud cover, it becomes apparent that the day is only gloomy when you’re standing on the ground looking up. However, when you press past the force of gravity and are above the thickness of the clouds, you’re privy to a completely different perspective. The intensity of the sun’s ray can cause you to shield your eyes and apply additional sunscreen.
As Christians, we don’t just have a different perspective, we have access to a different realm of possibilities in each and every situation because we are children of God.
“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Ephesians 2:4-6
But it’s not enough to just read a verse or two every once in a while, particularly when you have newscasters ready to update you on the latest travesties and friends sending quick messages prophesying doom, gloom, and destruction. There’s a reason God instructed Joshua to meditate on Scripture day and night.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Joshua 1:8
Like a good workout, meditation involves a good bit of repetition. It’s through repetition that gains are made, revelation comes, and the mind is renewed. We see this in our everyday—not only in our physical workouts, but in our daily intake of food. Increase leads to increase. The more Word we take in, the better equipped we are to face and overcome the tactics of the enemy and help others do the same.
Through Scripture we are equipped to experience victorious outcomes regardless of what we face. And a lot of what determines that victory involves what we say. This is why watching what you say is key to a successful life.
Lately comments have been circulating about what is said, or affirmations” being less important in the day-to-day than actions. As a person who sees how the words, thoughts, and actions are intertwined and result in a person’s destiny, I will never downplay the power of our words. Yes, actions are vital, but much of what we do is related to what we believe, which is highly influenced by our thoughts, aka our meditations.
The Bible is clear that words are very important.
“20A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:20-21
The world and everything we can and can not see were formed by words.
We enter an everlasting covenant with the God of the Universe through words.
Futures and possibilities are shaped by words.
Jesus is the Living Word.
The constant review of truth immerses the essence of who we really are in cleaning agent of God’s Word.
Through this simple (but effective) process, we are able to see more clearly, to judge more accurately, and respond appropriately.
When the enemy wants to crawl in and steal our peace, we can control our words and instead of choosing panic, doubt, or fearfully agreeing with imaginations of defeat, we can speak the opposite of what God’s Word says to be true.
When the whispers come in saying it’s perfectly normal to be anxious and overwhelmed given the circumstances, we can stand strong on the truth and declare that just because something has become common that doesn’t mean it’s normal. It may be common for people to feel anxious after being bombarded with bad news, but it’s not something we have to put up with or endure for even one more second because of Jesus’ triumph on the cross that set us free.
Through meditation we learn to love truth, know truth, and use truth to walk in continuous victory.
This week, grab a notebook and meditate upon the truth of the Scripture that you are loved and have been equipped for this day and age. The God of all flesh has deemed you to be more than an overcomer.
Take your favorite verses, or the ones below, and personalize God’s words to you. As you read the Scripture, apply the verses to the mountains that need to be leveled in your life. Make the Word your own and send the enemy fleeing as you rise in triumph.
- What the Bible says about how God sees you (Psalm 139:1-17)
- What the Bible says about your future (Psalm 128:1-2)
- What the Bible says about your finances (2 Corinthians 9:10)
- What the Bible says about you: (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- What the Bible says about your health (3 John 2)
Until we see Him!