WELL, WHAT CAN I SAY?

The last post was about prayer as an important weapon. Prayer as a spoken word has a strong effect, especially because it is addressed to God and God’s power works. But all other spoken words also have an effect!

There are many verses in the Bible about words – I was overwhelmed by the amount of instructions concerning the tongue! All aspects of speaking are covered! This abundance of verses is an indication that this subject is very important to God. How else could it be – God is a God of relationships and relationships live from conversation.
I have listed a small selection of these verses below:

Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! James 3:4-5

We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! James 3:9-10

Then I will proclaim your righteousness, and I will praise you all day long. Psalm 35:28

…the time for silence and the time for talk. Eccl 3:7b

Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19

It is foolish to speak scornfully of others. If you are smart, you will keep quiet. Proverbs 11:12

So when you make a promise to God, keep it as quickly as possible. He has no use for a fool. Do what you promise to do. Eccl 5:4

Correct someone, and afterward he will appreciate it more than flattery. Proverbs 28:23

Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal. Proverbs 12:18

Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. 1.Peter 3:9

These few verses show how comprehensive the subject is. I’d like to put them into practice, but I know that I will not always be able to find the right words! This is a life-long learning process. But I am motivated to improve because God promises that he will bless me for it – and even people will (sooner or later) honor me for it.

How often have I said something and I was shocked that I had actually said it and thus irritated, annoyed or sometimes deeply hurt the other person. My tongue is sometimes faster than my mind. Spoken words are “out there” and cannot be retrieved. Sometimes I wish I had a “DELETE” key for them! Since there is no such thing, I must apologize and ask for forgiveness.

What do I do that my use of negative words becomes less and less, that they fall off me like dead leaves from a tree? How do I get to the point where I use my words responsibly and encourage people and make them feel good?

On the one hand, I can practice this constantly and check my thoughts to see if they correspond with God’s view. For this I need to read God’s word! (See an older post about this topic: “The highway of thoughts”). The more I know my value in God’s eyes, the more positive I can approach other people. And when I realize that God loves me, then I don’t need the recognition of other people so much and I don’t feel so easily offended by the words of others. This is a wonderful, daily exercise – it’s good to remind myself again and again that I am valuable in God’s eyes (there is also an older post about this: Valuable, do you mean me?)!

On the other hand, I can think about why I say negative words. Where do they come from and from which feeling? Usually there is some frustration, anger or feeling of inferiority behind it. It pays off to get to the bottom of it! Everyone has his sore spots!
For example, I react strongly when people ignore me. But because I know this by now, I can handle the feelings that this triggers better and better. I know that I am important to God. In a conflict, what are my responsibilities and my mistakes, and what is the responsibility of the other person? Should I seek an honest conversation with someone or clarify my limits if someone has stepped on my toes? In my opinion, understanding how I tick, getting to know my inner self, is very important for how I deal with others and which words I use.

I am actually quite overwhelmed with these instructions in the Bible. But I know that God loves my will to change and walks with me! He has patience with me, so I can have patience with myself!

Something else to practice:
“Replace talking about it with praying about it. Do this for a week and watch the mountain begin to move.” Alli Worthington.
I discovered this quote in Instagram the other day and I am motivated to try it out! How about you?