I'm reading through the Proverbs this week and I notice some powerful themes as it relates to The Game of Life.
The Power of Words
Proverbs 13:3 says, "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives." That is a pretty powerful statement. Life is in the words. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." There is an old aphorism: sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Nothing could be further from the truth! Words can break our bones. And according to Proverbs 16:24, words can heal our bones! Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death."
I remember meeting a guy in seminary that had an "inferiority complex." He seemed doomed to do dumb stuff. One day he told me that his dad said, "What are you, stupid?" anytime he did anything wrong. Those words were prophetic. All words--positive or negative--are prophetic.
I think parents are prophets. Our words become self-fulfilling prophecies.
I think we need to be extremely careful when we verbalize negativity. Negative words are curses.
According to Laurie Beth Jones, 40% of our lives are based on personal prophecies. We crave positive prophecies. We need something to live up to! We need something to shoot for. Prophecies can keep us going when the going gets tough. In her book, The Power of Positive Prophecies, Jones tells a story about a man named Michael. "I grew up in an alcoholic household where I never heard a positive word. On my way home from school I would always stop in at Jimmy's, the local dry cleaner, because he kept candy on the counter. He got to know me, and told me one afternoon, 'Michael, you are a very smart boy. Someday you are going to run a very big business.' I would listen to him in disbelief and return home only to get called a 'dog' and knocked around by my dad.. But you know, Jimmy the dry cleaner was the only person I can remember believing in me. Today I run a multimillion-dollar health care organization, just like Jimmy predicted. I guess you could say that a dry cleaner was the prophet in my life."
Amos 1:1 says, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" Just like Amos, you may not see yourself as a prophet. He was a simple shepherd. But prophets come in all sizes and shapes. They are moms and dads and dry cleaners and shepherds. They are ordinary people who see with spiritual eyes and speak with spiritual authority.
If you're still unconvinced at the power of words check out Deuteronomy 8:3 says: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of Lord." Words. They are more than sound waves. They have the power to bring life or death!
The Power of Words
Proverbs 13:3 says, "Those who guard their lips preserve their lives." That is a pretty powerful statement. Life is in the words. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." There is an old aphorism: sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Nothing could be further from the truth! Words can break our bones. And according to Proverbs 16:24, words can heal our bones! Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death."
I remember meeting a guy in seminary that had an "inferiority complex." He seemed doomed to do dumb stuff. One day he told me that his dad said, "What are you, stupid?" anytime he did anything wrong. Those words were prophetic. All words--positive or negative--are prophetic.
I think parents are prophets. Our words become self-fulfilling prophecies.
I think we need to be extremely careful when we verbalize negativity. Negative words are curses.
According to Laurie Beth Jones, 40% of our lives are based on personal prophecies. We crave positive prophecies. We need something to live up to! We need something to shoot for. Prophecies can keep us going when the going gets tough. In her book, The Power of Positive Prophecies, Jones tells a story about a man named Michael. "I grew up in an alcoholic household where I never heard a positive word. On my way home from school I would always stop in at Jimmy's, the local dry cleaner, because he kept candy on the counter. He got to know me, and told me one afternoon, 'Michael, you are a very smart boy. Someday you are going to run a very big business.' I would listen to him in disbelief and return home only to get called a 'dog' and knocked around by my dad.. But you know, Jimmy the dry cleaner was the only person I can remember believing in me. Today I run a multimillion-dollar health care organization, just like Jimmy predicted. I guess you could say that a dry cleaner was the prophet in my life."
Amos 1:1 says, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" Just like Amos, you may not see yourself as a prophet. He was a simple shepherd. But prophets come in all sizes and shapes. They are moms and dads and dry cleaners and shepherds. They are ordinary people who see with spiritual eyes and speak with spiritual authority.
If you're still unconvinced at the power of words check out Deuteronomy 8:3 says: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of Lord." Words. They are more than sound waves. They have the power to bring life or death!
1 Comments:
Boss, I really do like your blogs, very thought provoking. I agree on blogging being a positive thing. It's pretty cool to write down your thougts and look at them in an objective way.
Take care hermano,
PR
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