The Power of Positive Words

    The Power of Positive Words!                                         By Kelly Durant 5-4-14

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

2. There was a beggar that was blind and daily he sat on the sidewalk with a cardboard sign that read, “I am blind. Please help” As usual with beggars, most people passed him by and few gave anything. Then a young lady stopped a moment and she wrote on the backside of his sign and put it up for people to see. Suddenly, people starting giving 4 times as much, and the man was very happy. What was it she wrote? It was, “It is a beautiful day, but I can’t see it.” Imagine just a minute to change a few words and things became so much better! This must be our role!

The past week I have been contemplating on our need as Christians and as a society to learn how to control our tongues better and express our words more positively! Ever notice how way too many people really do not think about what is coming out of their mouths! Like the old saying, they have the ‘foot’n mouth’ disease! I was reflecting on why many things do not get accomplished when people are asked to do something at home, in the church, in the school, in the workplace, and the conclusion is people want to be encouraged to do necessary things not be forced or nagged into doing them out of duty. And that word of encouragement requires being articulate in a positive manner!

Haven’t all the news channels been talking way too much about those who express their selves poorly and offensively, and people shoot their own selves in the foot over wrong words?  It’s time we should examine words. You must apply the Holy Spirit to determine if they are either influencing for the good or bad those around you and me!

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. Whenever you and I speak on any matter we are exposing to others who we are as a person, what we intend, and we display what good or evil is in our hearts.

3. Today focusing on Community Care and on the elderly we minister to; we must take into account words do affect people for all their life! Maj. Alejandro Castillo said that as a child some of his relatives, who didn’t like how he was an active boy annoying them, would repeat to him, “When you grow up you are only going to be good for planting potatoes!” How sad it is when people put down and humiliate others with cruel words. But I think most of us get very bothered even more so when cruel words are spouted out to children. Just think when you minister to people how many have been belittled in their past.

Children love and accept God as good. They have pure faith and Jesus said, Matthew 18:3 “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  Many times older adults can be like children. But the people who enjoy scaring or humiliating those weaker than them will not go unpunished, in particular if they pretend to be Christians and the kids or adults see them as big hypocrites. Many so called atheists are kids who grew up in homes of hypocritical parents!

Matthew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Thank God Alejandro took this as a negative motivator to study his way to success and become a leader, but his story is not the usual one, many kids live under the condemnation of the immediate family and it is the curse of never ending discouraging words producing failed kids and later in life sad frustrated older adults. Bad words produce the curse of never getting anywhere in life due to being consumed by anger, bitterness, envy, and being unrepentant, becoming foolish wasting all good opportunities God offers.  Negative words, especially applied to kids, brings a serious discouragement on them and a great condemnation on the one who said them!

4. Our goal as a Christian is to always be bringing a word of cheer to all inspiring and loving imitating Jesus, being a light of hope in this dark cruel world full of cursing and evil words. How are we going to become one who speaks from God’s heart? First we have to change the way we think! That means a heart change to be more like how Jesus was; we need our minds and hearts rewired so we speak the things of God. Most people have a long way to grow yet. I have known old people who curse, so the habit of speaking encouraging words must start today ASAP, it’s never too early or never too late!

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

In the verses of today from Phil 4:8 what are we commanded to think on? (so when we speak, we speak of them) “True things, honest things, just things, pure things , lovely things , things of good report; things of virtue and praise, think on these things!” So make a filter in your mind, do the words you speak serve the purpose of bringing about more truth, honesty, love, good news, virtues and praise to those at home and to those I minister to?

5. It is hard to be positive in a negative world! Don’t misunderstand that we are to be sugar coating everything we say all the time! On the flip side of what we consider positive let’s examine how there is a need for some negative words in order to accomplish a positive result.

Always remember Jesus spoke harsh words to whom? To people caught in sin, just out of bed fornicating? To tax collecting thieves? To rough fishermen who cursed like sailors?  Or to children or the elderly? No, his harsh words were directed to those who were supposed to be representing God and leadership for the nation but instead were representing Satan!

Matthew 12:34 “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”

6. Imagine if you were one of these powerful religious leaders, you would not look at Jesus as a sweet motivational speaker full of the positive like a Joel Osteen preacher! You would look at Jesus and His words as a threat to your little evil empire of control, wealth gained by exploitation, and deceptive teachings!

Jesus did not praise other evil manipulators either; for example, politicians were described as having sneaky animal characteristics. Luke 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. (He is implying he could cast out the devil in Herod!) Herod as evil as he was did not seek to bother Jesus either!

Loving sweet words must always be for sinners who are getting closer to God, converting more and more each week, for people who are listening to God’s word, for people who are in the end suffering inside. Loving encouraging words are for those that are not perpetuating the practice of evil employing direct deception and manipulation as the false religions and bad politicians. 

7. In general the model here is to motivate people we minister to by convicting words, with loving words. So you and I need to practice new styles of expression and speaking, and not keep on in vain trying to influence by using our own choice of words. For example, people who repeat things like, “How many times do I have to tell you”,…, You never listen to me”…, “Are you deaf”… “I told you so”…should realize that contained within their own words is the evidence their speech is being ineffective and they are not being heard as a communicator.

When someone communicates to me that I must do what they say, my first thought is I am being commanded and no one I know likes to be obliged and commanded into do anything. I try not to command anyone but if there is an immediate danger or evil, then then is the time to shout commands like, “Hey, get out the way of that car!”

Here is the misconception; it appears sometimes that some people speak as if he/she thinks that everyone around them is a brute beast and that they need to talk down to them. People do this most often with children and the elderly. Learn to change your aggressive or ordinary words for kind convincing words or nothing will get done! Like I see in the parking lots around here when someone is stopped for a few seconds and someone yells, “Get moving stupid!”  What happens in these situations?  The problem person reacts to these words and become a bigger problem because they sit there longer, not for traffic or being on the phone, but for the fact that they want to get revenge for being called stupid!

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

 8. So how long will we live with so much back and forth and empty words that seem to be accomplishing nothing?  We must recognize the power of our words for good or for evil. Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” We must make a huge effort to break old speaking habits!

Some people live in toxic homes where they have heard their parents, and grandparents, express their selves always in some ugly manner and they keep on repeating the destructive pattern. Today is the day to start a change in how you express yourself. Break away from the ineffective clichés.   Stop the irritating speech that is meaningless and undesirable.

If you are one to like to repeat worn out clichés all the time like, “Oh my God”, then why don’t you replace it with something that might get God’s favor a little better like, “Lord, have mercy!” I know an amazing man of God, a black officer in Philadelphia and that was his favorite phrase, “Lord, have mercy!” and he meant it each time he said it! I’d ask him what is the hardest thing about your Corps? He’d answer, “Well, sometimes the homeless die overnight that sleep by the Corps front door so I have to call the police to pick them up; Lord, have mercy!”

9. I do not believe in the doctrine of using words to speak into existence blessings as some false Christian teachers do. They say to you repeat after me, “I am a child of God (true statement so far if you are Christian), I command you God to send me riches and blessings (wrong now, a false idea of blessings and of God’s workings!) But always take into account your words reap upon you a blessing or a condemnation.  Matthew 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Also, don’t talk too much or be as in Ecclesiastes 5:3 b; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. Here is a reality of words, in the Old Testament if you were caught cursing your parents or pronouncing some destructive prophecy over a person you did not like, you were to suffer “the death”, a sentence of getting stoned to death! God takes seriously our words! I am always reminded of the bumper sticker, “May the Lord give to you all that you desire on me!” This is true in many regards, words will always come back to bite you! We reap what we sew, either words of blessings, or words of cursing!

Start measuring and thinking hard about the words you will use! Words have many functions but for the Christian they must be pure and for good reason to promote God’s will. Ecclesiastes 10:12 “The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. “  Many words may actually make us tired and frustrated. Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Once you have spoken, don’t repeat and repeat. Jesus said in, Matthew 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Even God gets tired of empty words and only wants prayers from the heart!

10. Why do Jesus’ words encourage us so much? Because He is so positive! All the time, “Love, love God, love one another!”  Matt 5: “Blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek” on and on. Jesus knew how to motivate us not by the law commands but by inspiring us with the promise of eternal life and rewards in heaven! To hear people’s same old words often is a torment, but we are free from discouraging words when we hear Jesus’ words.

What are you going to do in reaction to this? Think and speak the true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report of virtue and praise things!  Every Christian must pray desperately to change how they express their self! Your peace and future with God and others depends on it! I am included in this as well! Be careful and not be a person who is nice in public but at home complains about everything!  Psalm 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Job 9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

The words you share at rest homes, with people of all ages can greatly lift their spirits! Here is a great verse to finish this important lesson on our words with, let’s all repeat it…Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”