You've heard the phrases 'choose your words wisely' and 'what's in a word'? I know the power of words. And I think that's why 'words' (writing) has become so important to me. According to the Bible, there is power of life and death in the words that we speak.
Proverbs 18:21
- Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life). ~ (Amplified Bible)
- Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose. ~ (The Message)
I don't touch on or go too deeply into certain areas of my background very often because it is painful and a bit revealing, but I am a product of a home that had some definite dysfunction going on. And if you knew me very, very well growing up, you might possibly have known that secret, but probably didn't. We hid it well. Our family motto was like the Vegas slogan. We literally were told 'What happens at home, stays at home'.
Even now, it's extremely awkward for me to share this because I almost feel as if I'm betraying my family. But let's be honest family, what happened, happened. And we were affected. I never faced any physical abuse myself, but there was definite verbal and emotional damage done over the course of my lifetime. And to this day I battle inwardly with words that were spoken or yelled or cursed at me and have lingered and echoed in my head for many years. And I am 1.5 years away from turning 40.
Let me also say that I love this person. This person that said these things. For years. For hours at a time. These occurrences were as far away as I can remember into my formative pre-pre-teen years. And as close as just a year ago. I love this person, and I continue to work on this relationship at a slow pace, with pauses and sometimes with fear and dread. And sometimes I become paralyzed for a little while and don't know how to communicate. And sometimes I swallow very hard and pick up the phone and call this person. And tell them that I love them. And speak life over them. Because I do. I love them. And I want them to live, in the fullest meaning of that word.
That's why it has become so important to me to choose my words carefully before I speak. Before I discipline my children. Before I disagree with anyone. Before I say something about somebody else or even about myself. Because just as in the Message version of Proverbs 18:21 (above), I must make a choice each time I open my mouth. Am I going to give life to someone? Or am I going to give death?
And there's a flip side to that as well! In regards to the words that were spoken over me. Those words that linger in my head and torment the way I think about myself. Now that I recognize what was happening to me, that death was being spoken over me, that my thoughts and my perception of who I am was being poisoned, I have to repose those questions. Am I going to choose life and redefine who I am according to what God's word says? Or am I going to choose death and accept the curses that were spoken over me? It may be a daily struggle I face, but daily... daily I must face the words in my head and I must choose life. I am who God says I am. I am above and not beneath, I am the head and not the tail, I am blessed and not cursed!
And today, I choose to use this Super Power that God has given me. I choose to speak life over my husband, my children, my family, my friends, and yes dear reader, YOU! Whether you believe in prayer or God or the power of words or not, know that you have been covered in it today. May you be blessed today and know the power of your words!
