Words as a creative force; taming the tongue and speaking in love, a Sunday reflection

We, each of us, have a voice in this world, within our sphere of influence. We can use that voice to encourage or deflate, to share what we know or to keep our knowledge to our self, to pursue liberty or to join those whose goal it is to enslave. The choice is ours. But if we choose to bring light and liberty, we need God's help. We need His principles to guide us. We need to speak the truth, but we must speak it respectfully, always honoring the other person's right to disagree. As long as they do not infringe upon our free will and our God-granted right, they must be allowed the same liberty we seek.

Words have tremendous power, and as you have probably heard, “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Words are tools of persuasion. If you can use your words to change minds and hearts, you can change the world. And as preppers, we are trying to persuade men to see the light of liberty and join us in the battle to once again make this the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I was thinking about what God has to say about our our words. It is quite amazing to think that the entire universe was created by the Words that God spoke. He said “Let there be” and there was! Then He created us “in His Image” and gave us the ability to speak also.

The scriptures tell us that God's Word is a living sword in Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 3:12. And it is a sword that is sharper than a two-edged one, able to divide our soul from our spirit. When I think of a two-edged sword, I think of the fact that it will get you coming and going, forward and back, there is no escaping it's truth. What power!

We speak with our tongue and the tongue is addressed quite a bit in the scriptures also. James 3:5-12 tells us that the tongue is a little member, but is a fire and just a little spark can start a huge inferno, i.e. just a small indiscretion can cause loads of damage. The tongue can defile the whole body; it cannot be tamed. God goes on to tell us that the tongue is full of deadly poison. We use it to bless God and then to curse men, which are made in His Image. He tells that this should not be, as sweet water and bitter should not come from the same fount. So what am I to do? Again I look to the Word of God for wisdom. In Luke 6:45 I read that the words that we speak come from the abundance of our heart. Abundance speaks of what we have lots of...of what will overflow out of us. So I see that my tongue and the words that I speak come from my heart. But then I read in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all and wicked! That man's heart is evil from his youth, Genesis 9:21. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere! Now how do I tame this evil member? How do I keep from discouraging my kids with my sharp words, from spewing my frustrations about upon everyone around me and causing grief as I travel through this world? From alienating those that I want to bring to the knowledge of the truth, be it their eternal soul or the rights of the individual to self-determination?

I find myself searching the Word again for some light on what I am to do... Ezekiel 36:26 tells me that God can give me a new heart and a new spirit. Hope at last! When I read spirit, I think of attitude. So many times I recognize the fact that I need an attitude adjustment. How quickly I can get caught up in worldly pursuits that have no redeeming qualities. And to me, heart speaks of my will. The thing that makes me, well, me. So God is able, and by His grace, will do for me that which I cannot. He will take this evil, unbelieving heart, and turn it to Him. He will take this ungodly attitude and in its place put a new one, I believe one that is a part of Himself. And then He will work with me, as I seek Him, for He will never cross my free will or force me, to continue this change in me. Receiving this new heart and new spirit happens in a moment, the moment that I believed and received the truth, but it is also a process that I walk out, day by day, as I grow in grace and learn of Him and His ways. He is teaching me to guard and keep my heart above all things that I guard, for out of my heart come the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23) Life! And it is His will that I have not only life, but abundant life! (John 10:10)
So I am learning that as I guard this new heart and attitude, I will be filled with truth and love, and as I grow in the fruit of the Spirit, I will speak out of the abundance of my heart to the edification of all who listen. (Ephesians 4:29) And if what comes out of my mouth is not sweet, then I need to look within and see where I am missing the Truth, where I need more revelation. Where I need His help and guidance. If I am getting frustrated in my pursuit to persuade a person, perhaps I am neglecting to respect them and it shows.

I like the saying that goes, “they will not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Respect must come first. All are created in God's image and as such are worthy of respect, of the acknowledgment of their human dignity. And the other saying I think of quite often is “people may not remember everything you say, but they will remember how you made them feel.” And last, but not least, “because nice matters.” I do not know who was the one(s) to start those sayings. But they resonate with me.

I feel/hope that I have changed over the years, that as I have become older, I have become wiser and that I treat people with more respect than I did when I was young. I cringe now when I think of the way I treated people in my youth. Still, I can be quite short with people, especially when I am under stress, to use a tone of voice that is not one that I would want used with me. I did not know how I sounded, and I did not, at least consciously, purpose to say things in a demeaning way. It took hearing myself on a phone message that I had sent, and then at another time having a person that I worked closely with tell me that my tone of voice was an issue, that opened my eyes to how I sounded. But awareness is the beginning of change. And soul searching is the beginning of more change.

So in using our words to persuade, we not only have to be aware of the power of the words themselves, we must be aware of the tone with which they are spoken. And to that end, the attitude we take as we speak them.

I try to remember that at one time, I did not believe all that I believe today, that the first time I heard some of what I believe as truth now, well, it felt like it was down-right unbelievable, the ravings of some lunatics. And it is with that memory in mind that I approach others who do not understand that many of those people who say they are here to help us, really are here to keep us slaves. I seek to respect the sleeple as I try to help them awaken to the truth and prepare for the coming hard times.

Trying to keep perspective,
HUP