SPEAK LIFE
"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences" (Proverbs 18:21, NLT).
This is one of the hardest areas I struggle with every day of my life. I’m not completely victorious yet, but it’s getting amazingly better.
SPEAK LIFE, NOT DEATH
Because you can say something doesn't mean you ought to. Because someone deserves to be put in their place doesn't mean it is your place to put them there. What you destroy when you decimate someone with your words is not them, it is your influence in their life. If you were wronged, just be wronged. Don't win the battle and lose the war. Last night I felt like I was wrongly cheated on a $30 transaction on Ebay. My first inclination was to destroy these people with a biting review. I slept on it. The next day (today) it's amazing how much more peace and grace is worth than $30.00.
SPEAK ENCOURAGEMENT, NOT CRITICISM
The person who deserves encouragement the least is the one who needs it the most. When someone is at their most unworthy level, critical words will destroy the tiny spark of hope they are clinging to. Satan is the one who speaks condemnation and shame. Jesus saved you to be a conduit of grace, not an exposer of faults. Who wouldn't be drawn to a faithful friend and a fresh start?
SPEAK EMPOWERMENT, NOT CONTROL.
It’s not about how much you know. It’s not about proving you could do it better. It’s about being a teacher, a coach, and a cheerleader.
Nothing crushes a person's spirit faster than being reminded that someone thinks they’re smarter than them. Every believer carries the same power that raised Jesus from the grave. Your calling isn’t to overshadow them—but to draw that power out of them.
Today, I’ve felt the enemy’s attack. I’ve wanted to respond, to defend, to unleash a storm of words into situations where I felt right. But those who represent themselves in court rarely win.
So I’m choosing silence. I'm choosing grace. I’m choosing to let God speak on my behalf. This is HARD! But it works. Take that from an impossibly opinionated and instantly responding person.
