SPEAKING A BLESSING
By Pastor Mark Taylor
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue..” Proverbs 18:21
A blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken. Avoiding negative talk is helpful, but it is only part of changing the way we think and speak to God, ourselves, and to others. The moment you speak something in words, you give birth to it. If you want to change your life, you start by changing your words. If there is ever a time you should guard what you say, it is in times of trouble.
Your Words Can Bring Blessings to Others
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)
You can tell people that they are loved and valued by you and by God. We have the medicine of encouragement. We have the medicine of hope. We have the medicine of God’s Word.
It is reported that many physical problems are caused by stress and anxiety. You and I can bring the peace of God to others simply by saying words of blessing on others. God told Moses to tell Aaron to speak these words to bless the children of Israel: “The LORD bless you, and keep you: The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26). There are times when people need to hear from their friends and loved ones that everything is going to be ok and that God loves them and is going to take care of them.
Be a blessing to others by avoiding arguments and disagreements, especially on things that do not matter. There are several books written entitled “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” which is a good principle to live by. Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each person becoming more firmly convinced than ever that they are right and ending in hurt feelings on both sides. No one really “wins” an argument. Even when you are convinced you are 100% right, you may lose the respect and love of others by not respecting their right to disagree with you. “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)
“Here lies the body of William Jay,
Who died maintaining His right of way.
He was right, dead right, as he sped along,
But he is just as dead as if he were wrong.”
Your Words Can Bring Blessings To Your Heavenly Father
God can read your mind, but He would really like to hear your voice. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15). The sacrifice of praise is something you do when you don’t feel like doing it. If things are not as good as you would like them, then praise God that they are not worse than they could be. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ” Psalms 19:14
You can be a blessing to God by simply loving Him with your words. Here is an example:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” (Psalms 103:1-5).
Your Words To Yourself Can Bring Blessings To You
That is why we need to be extremely careful about what we think, and especially careful about what we say. Our words have tremendous power, and whether we want to or not, we will give life to what we are saying, either good or bad. Words are similar to seeds. By speaking them aloud, they are planted in our subconscious minds, and they take on a life of their own. They take root, grow, and produce fruit of the same kind. If we speak positive words, our lives will move in that direction. Similarly, negative words will produce poor results. We can’t expect to speak words of defeat and failure and to live in victory. We will reap exactly what we sow.
To get through a rough time quicker and with better results, we must learn to speak as positively as possible. “Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue, keeps his soul from troubles.” (Proverbs 21:23). If there is ever a time you must guard what you say, it is in times of trouble. What you say to yourself and others about your situation will impact how long you stay in that difficultly. Even when you pray you should speak to God less about how big your problems are, and speak to Him about how big He is. Remind yourself of His precious Words to you. “Let not your heart be trouble...” (John 14:1). “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take care of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:33-34).
God wants us to use our words to change our negative situations. Don’t dwell on the problem, talk about the solution. Jesus clearly tells us to speak to our mountains. “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says” (Mark 11:23).
