Sticks & Stones may break my bones, but Words.......

You've heard the saying before. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" We learned that pretty early in our life, didn't we. And at least half of that phrase is true because sticks and stones are proven bone breakers. But that part about the words.......let's be honest, words can hurt a lot. More than likely you still deal with the effects of words that were spoken to you in the past from various sources; parents, other kids, teachers, ex-spouse, coworker, etc. Those words hurt and if allowed they still can affect our lives.

One of the things I've learned about words is that words are very powerful. They can build up or they can destroy. It was a great lesson I've learned and continue to learn as a parent. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Individually each of us hold the power to encourage, uplift and empower someone. But we also hold the power to discourage, tear down, and destroy someone. I think we would all be wise to consider the words coming out of our mouth since they can have such an impact on others.

But maybe an even bigger issue is the impact our spoken words have on us. In the course of a day, we usually don't need the words of someone else to tear us down, we do a great job of tearing down ourselves, our families, and our situations with the words we speak. In the New Testament, James tells us that our tongues are like the rudder on a ship; our words will steer or direct our lives to potentially positive or negative destinations (James 3:4-5). When we speak negative words over our lives, we steer ourselves toward negative results. If you get up and say, "This is going to be a bad day", guess what, you are going to have a bad day!!! But even if the circumstances of the day didn't change but your words did, you would end up steering your life toward a positive result. I'm not talking about positive confession. That would be described as being diagnosed with cancer and saying, "I don't have cancer...I don't have cancer." YES YOU DO!!!! But as bad as that is, you don't have to live your days in gloom and despair. It's proven that people with positive attitudes tend to recover from life threatening illness's faster and at a higher rate.

Maybe you don't have cancer, but the words you speak over your finances matter today. Try something this week. Intentionally try not to complain, pick out fault, speak negatively, have a negative attitude. If you're not careful you will find you make more friends, hate life less, and overall become a person other people actually want to be around! Try it and see what happens!

Send me an email and let me know how it works for you!!!!!

Philippians 4:8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.