The Power of Words
“The Power of Words”
by Pastor Kent Munsey
February 7, 2021
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
James 3:3-10 (MSG)
Our words have power, and our words reveal the condition of our hearts (Matthew 12:37). We must examine the words that we speak to know the condition of our hearts. Our words not only set the course for our life, but they also reveal the condition of our hearts.
In Numbers 11:1-6, the Israelites allow a feeling in their hearts to determine a reality that’s not true. When we permit ourselves to be led by emotions, then we begin to buy into our feelings as if they are facts. The Israelites were disappointed because of unmet expectations, so they began to complain, and complaining produces restlessness, fearfulness, and trepidation (Psalm 55:2). The truth is that God was providing supernaturally.
God has given us everything that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If we are breathing today, we are blessed. No matter what we are feeling, we are blessed. Often we become so familiar with our blessings that we stop recognizing them as blessings. The Israelites are complaining and frustrated at the blessing of God. Maybe some of us have found ourselves complaining about the thing that we prayed for--whether it’s our marriage, our job, or our friendships.
One of the best ways to check our hearts is to examine the words that we are speaking. How are we talking about the blessing of God in our life? How do we speak about others giving their time or their resources to God? Maybe we are allowing someone else’s extravagant or sacrificial gift to produce negative feelings in us instead of responding with celebration. Those who criticize the giving of others are often unhappy with the way that they manage and steward their resources and time.
In Luke 10, Jesus visited Mary and Martha’s house, and Martha complained that Mary was not helping. She was projecting her feelings onto Mary, but she was also revealing that she was missing what her sister was getting--the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said there is only one necessary thing, and Mary has discovered it (Luke 10:42). When it comes to serving, we have to discern what it is that Jesus wants from us.
It matters what we say. In Acts 16, Paul is in prison praying, and the chains fall off him and the other prisoners. It’s not what we say in times of blessing and prosperity, but what we say when we are in pain or facing problems that have the most powerful effect on the lives of others. Our prayers can shift and change the atmosphere for those around us. Paul praised God in the jail cell, and his words changed the environment.
When it comes to how God has blessed us, we must always speak about the blessings that God has given us. When it comes to giving, we must follow the leading of our hearts. When it comes to serving, we cannot look for the affirmation of others but to God. Let us not allow the words of others to diminish the value of our serving or our giving.
Knowing that there is power in our words, here are three decisions we can make to align with that:
I will not hang out with negative people. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says that bad company corrupts good character. We attract who we are. When we choose not to speak negatively, all the people who do will be repelled because we only speak positive things.
I will speak words of life. Proverbs 18:21 says to speak life. Often we miss the fact that our words or actions are creating the life that we live. When we engage in negative thoughts and words, then we are not focusing on the blessing of God in our life.
I will be thankful for what I have. Tone matters, and thankfulness is a tone. When we thank and praise God, he gets a little bit closer, and the spirit of God begins to move and work in our lives (Psalm 100:1-5). The spirit of faith says that we believe, therefore we speak. If we believe that God is a blesser, then we should speak it. When we speak it, we begin to move our life in that direction and see God’s blessing on our life.
The spirit of the Christian life is to believe and then speak. We must speak life in our home, our family, and our relationships. When we begin to speak God’s blessing and his word, when we begin to speak in faith, the Bible says that we can speak to the mountain to move and it will be moved (Mark 11:23). God wants us to know that there is power in our words. Sometimes we need to speak to what is not as though it is (Romans 4:17). We need to thank God in advance for the miracle.
When we speak what is true, there is power attached. Truth is a person; his name is Jesus, and the truth sets us free. When we speak about things that are not true, there is none of God’s power attached to it, and we’re allowing deception into our life. When we speak the truth-- the word of God and the person of God--there is power. When we speak truth over ourselves, there is power, there is life and there is encouragement. When we speak truth over a situation, there is power, and change can happen. There is power in our words.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
When have you seen the influence of negative people take hold of your life? Are the people who you spend the most time with negative or positive?
How have you seen your own words influence your life, whether positively or negatively?
How can you choose to speak life over yourself and others more intentionally this week?
What can you thank God for in this season?
How can you make thankfulness a part of your everyday life?