When Words Are Released
“Speech has been compared to an arrow; once the words are released, they cannot be recalled, and the harm they do cannot be stopped or predicted.”
I started the When Words Are Released post September 29, 2016 and stuck it in my draft folder. Periodically I would look at it and most often wanted to delete it. Several months passed without noticing it, until recently; March 2017.
I had just finished the post on Muslims Find Jesus Through Dreams and Visions when I looked at my drafts to see what could possibly be put into the schedule. The photo of the man with the bow and arrow caught my attention. Immediately, Angel’s Bow and Arrow Dream flooded my mind.
I opened the draft. All I had was a sentence by Hagee and a photo, nothing more.
You can look at this as you will, but when I’m struggling to know what God wants me to do and I pull up a draft of one sentence from six months ago that connects to another post, I call it nothing short of God’s divine intervention.
I love it when God puts things together when you don’t know He’s even doing it. I realized how fitting his quote was to her dream. This is one of those experiences when you're walking with God and you hear His voice. There are no audible words, but you know it’s God.
After discovering this little gem, I prayed, “God, what do you want to teach me today?”
This is what started spilling out of my heart. Part of Angels understanding was her belief that the dream represents those who may come against the ministry God has for her, Jordan, and her family. “No matter what comes our way, God will silence those coming against them and “suddenly,” she said. Psalm 64:7
John Hagee’s quote is self-explanatory. I’ve heard numerous messages warning to keep my tongue from speaking evil. I imagine you have too. It’s a simple message, but a necessary warning.
Harming others with our words is to curse them. God’s word says that our words curse or bless. Curse means “a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something.”
What happens supernaturally isn’t something we can control. Hagee states that we cannot predict what our words will do. We may never see the harm inflicted upon others by our words.
We can control what comes out of our mouths. “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” James 3:10
It doesn’t take me long to recall to memory things I’ve said that I wish I could take back. There are times I react too quickly. Before spouting off my opinion, I should pause and think through what I’m feeling. I need to think through what I want to say, why I “think” I need to say it, and how best to say it.
What God is asking me to do today is to pause and recognize what I said today and in the last week that was pleasing to Him. It’s easy to recall the negative, but I need to see what is good so I can do more of it. The enemy wants me to focus on what I do wrong, whereas God wants me to focus on what I do that is righteous and good.
When we fill our minds and meditate on what is good, we will do more good than harm. “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:8-9 MSG
If we focus on speaking what is right and good and turn this quote around a bit to speak a blessing, not a curse, I guess we could say, “…once the words are released they cannot be recalled,” and the hope they bring cannot be predicted. The special favor that we speak into people’s lives has no end to what God can do to bless them.
I can unleash love or hate. I can release words of hope or harm. Whatever comes out of my mouth will do one or the other.
I can unleash love or hate; light or darkness with my words.
“What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 The Bible does not lie. This is a fact that I cannot hide from.
It isn't easy when God confronts me of my sin, but it's necessary if I want to be and behave more like Jesus. I pray God will help me keep a reign on my tongue and that through God’s eyes, I speak words that are pleasing to Him. Words that God can take and benefit others in ways I may never know about.
Take a look at the last week and look for themes how you spent your time talking to a colleague, a friend, your spouse.
- What dominates your conversations?
- What tone do you have with others?
- Does it differ from person to person?
