Speak Life

If someone walked up to you and called you a pathetic loser what would your reaction be? For some the reaction would include a punch in the face. Some of us would be able to ignore them and walk away shaking our head at their audacity. Some would internalize the words and contemplate if there was any truth to them, but most likely conclude the person making the statement was just a jerk.

How often do we tell ourselves things we would not tolerate or even believe from another person? Why is it that we find it acceptable to tear ourselves down, but we wouldn’t let someone else do it to us? How often do we label ourselves negatively? Words like fat, ugly, failure, worthless, stupid, etc. The list goes on and on with the garbage that we allow to fill our minds about ourselves. I am just as guilty as you are. We are speaking death to our spirit instead of speaking life.

Why is it so much easier to talk down to ourselves? It’s because speaking life requires intentionality. It requires knowing who we are in Christ, and how He views us. The only way to be able to do this is if we fill ourselves with the Word of God. He gave us this amazing love letter so we would know just how loved we are, but if we don’t read it and soak it in, we’ll never know the love He has for us. 

Easter will be upon us soon, and with that comes horrific mental images of the crucifixion. I have not yet been able to make myself watch “The Passion of the Christ” because of those images. In the crucifixion scenes I have watched in various movies, I flinch at every lash of the whip and the sound of the nails being hit that pierced His hands and feet. I want to close my eyes and hide from the reality of what Jesus endured because of sin, including MY sin. But the most amazing thing is His motive. Hebrews 12:2 tells us the he endured the cross “for the joy that lay before Him”. What was that joy? Redeeming fallen man; erasing our sin debt by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14). That is love beyond words. 

Loved, redeemed, forgiven, cherished, favored... This, my friend, is what we are; who we are. Not the ugly names that we have for ourselves. Internalize the truth of the Gospel, and the reality of His love and affection for us. It’s life changing!

Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17

Casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. 1 John 3:1a