I spent today working on a friends house. I took a break for a second to get water. As I stood in observation a married couple that were also lending a hand. They were painting while two of their children took their afternoon nap and the other was playing. The small boy walked over to his mother, placed his hands on the paint brush and said "mommy, I want to help paint." I was expecting her to say no, telling him that he is too young or can't do it right or anything but what she said. She said "yes, here help me and I will show you how. She then told him that God liked us to help one another. They were not even aware that that small act had touched my heart. They were only going about their business but I was standing amazed. I grew up with a different reality. Words of inadequacy and unworthiness were spoken over me from a young age and continued at times even to this day. The scenario would have been similar but oh so different. Contrary to what some may believe, I know how to "get my hands dirty." I grew up working in the yard every Saturday. I think that my father just treated Danielle and I as if we were his little boys. I am grateful for this today because it taught me about hard work and many other things. So, yes I can relate to helping out in the yard or building houses but I never remember situations like the one I observed today. Most things I was expected to know how to do and do perfectly on my own and if there was a mistake I knew there would be yelling. I NEVER would have been told so gently how to help paint and I never would have had that followed by words of God. I have often been told that I can't do it right, I am stupid, I am an idiot, I am selfish, I am fat....The list goes on and on. These words that were spoken over me my entire life have shaped me and become a part of me. They were most likely forgotten slips of the frustrated tongue, intensified by the consumption of alcohol... but they have power over me even to this day. The words we speak are not "just words." Words have power. " Every time we speak, we either advance the kingdom of life or we advance the kingdom of death." They say that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I have heard this phrase from a young age and now that I am an adult I am realizing more and more that it is absolute hogwash! The saddest part is that the evil words spoken over us are the ones that stick with us like a leach, words of compassion come and go almost as fast as they came. For some of us even those can be words of evil....when we give them the power to be. There are times when we are complimented and become convinced that the person truly didn't mean it and then we think up all the horrible things that the person thinks about us. I can still account for numerous evil words spoken over me... What I believe I have to do now is trust in God's love and in God's word. The evils of this world are all around us and always attacking us. The devil thrives on words... He is NOT The heavenly father so he can not hear the words in our minds but only the ones spoken aloud. These words are the ones with the power to advance the kingdom of death over us. I am getting on a bit of a rant so I will now try and reel this in.
For me the most powerful revelation of all of this is the fact that yes these words have been spoken over me, many creating permanent scars on my heart, mind, and soul.... however, Through Jesus Christ these words do not have to forever be looming over me. God views me as a worthy daughter and not any of the horrible words I have come to believe myself to be through years of emotional abuse. It brings tears to my eyes to think that every single one of these scars can be lifted off of me and no longer have power over me through the name of Jesus Christ. Words are powerful but most powerful of all is our heavenly father through him ALL things are possible....
This makes me also think about how I speak to others. For we may speak evil over others without even knowing it...
My main points:
1.) Our words have great power.
2.) We are not of the words spoken over us, we are of GOD.
" Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may even kill me."
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