New Words, New Ways

Did you know your words can change your life?

I started smoking when I was nine years old and smoked for many years after that. I liked it! So when I decided to stop, it was really difficult.

Every time I tried to quit, I’d last a few hours and then be running around, digging cigarette butts out of the trash or looking for cigarettes in my coat pockets – anywhere I could think to look.

I didn’t have success in quitting smoking until I got a revelation:

I was burying myself in defeat through the negative things I was saying about myself.

For a long time, I’d been saying, “I just know I can never quit smoking. And if I did, I’d probably gain a lot of weight.”

But God helped me see that if I didn’t change my words, I could never change my life. He put a desire in my heart to start speaking what I wanted, not what I presently had.

So I started saying things like, “I can’t stand to smoke! These things stink, and they’re expensive. I don’t smoke anymore!”

At first, I felt silly doing this, because I would make these declarations while I still was smoking. However, within about a week of changing my confession, I realized I now had the grace of God to permanently quit smoking.

The whole ordeal taught me a great lesson: My life could not rise above my words.

Listen to Yourself

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” And Hebrews 4:14 (AMPC) says we should “hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].”

“Confession” means “to say the same thing as.” So it’s vital for us to learn how to speak in agreement with the Word of God, not just say things based on our feelings, past experiences, or on what others have said about us.

We’ll have greater success with this if we concentrate on what we should be saying, rather than focusing on all the things we shouldn’t say. It’s self-defeating to go around saying things like, “I shouldn’t do that” or “I’d better not do this.”

That’s why it’s so important for us to be accountable for the words we speak. And the truth is, the things you say come from what’s in your heart (Luke 6:45). So you can determine where your heart is by listening to yourself speak – especially if you hear things like bitterness and jealousy…insecurity and unhappiness.

A Change of Heart

We all need a change of heart from time to time. We all have room to grow in our relationship with God, and an important way to make progress is to increasingly speak His language:

Bless everything you can possibly bless. James 3:8-10 says we have the power to bless or curse with the words of our mouth.

Be thankful, and say so. Don’t just think about how much you appreciate someone – tell them!

Be an encourager. Every day, find someone to give an encouraging word to.

Speak the Word of God. Memorize and recite verses that deal with the things you want to change or overcome.

Dear friend, ask God to help you say the right things each day, things that agree with His Word. When you do, your life will change!