Words have great power in our lives. Proverbs says that reckless
and unkind words are like the thrusting of a sword (Prov 12:18), while the book of James compares
the tongue to a fire in its ability to destroy (Jas 3:6). Kind and upbuilding words, on the other hand, have the power to bring healing and are beautiful
“like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov 25:11). Either way, God has given us the ability through
our words to be agents of death and destruction or life and healing to others.
Recently, I experienced the reality of this truth when someone
spoke unkind words to me, attacking my character in a way that was so painful I
could not get the words out of my mind. I woke up for days after this happened with pieces of the conversation piercing my heart and accusing me
in a way that felt oppressive. I prayed to forgive this person daily and even
began praying that the individual would receive special blessings from the
Lord. I looked for ways that I could also be a blessing to this person. And
while I was committed to embracing forgiveness, there was still something
wounded in my heart concerning my identity that was keeping me from
experiencing the Lord’s joy and peace – I just could not figure out what it was.
After about four weeks of living in this hurt, I woke up one
day this week with the clear understanding that I was not enjoying my freedom
in Christ and was living according to the false identity of what was spoken
over me. I asked the Lord to help me understand how a few hurtful words had gained
so much power over me that they were impacting my entire view of myself and my
understanding of my value as a child of God.
That same day the Lord answered by sending a friend who
prayed with me that I would be enlightened by the Spirit and the Word to understand how the enemy
had gotten a foothold in my thought life. As we were praying, I kept hearing a replay of the accusing words
and sensed the continued weight of their condemnation. I realized that I had not only listened to what was said but had embraced the lies, allowing them to
penetrate my heart and overshadow the truth of what God said about me. I
repented for believing the unkind words and for trusting in them over God’s good promises,
asking the Lord to release me from all memories of these hurtful words. As I
declared by faith that I was now choosing to listen to, trust and follow God’s
promises spoken over me, life and healing replaced the sense of death and destruction.
I began meditating on God’s promises and individually
rejecting each one of the lies. The confusion and sense of despair began to
lift, and my heart became calm like an ocean after a heavy rain. God's peace returned. I no longer
had the sense that I was the defeated one who was under condemnation but could
clearly see myself as a child of the light and a daughter of the King, fully
accepted in his presence and free from any shame or condemnation.
I can honestly say that I’m thankful I experienced this pain for a lot
of reasons. I’m learning that cruel words, while painful, have no power over me
unless I allow them. I have the choice of who I want to listen to and believe –
the voice of the Father or of the father of lies. I can choose to embrace words
of life or death and my choice will have far-reaching implications -- not only on
my mind but on the way I view myself and my life in Christ. If I believe the
enemy’s words that say I’m worthless, shamed and disgraced, then I’ll live like
that and walk in a sense of condemnation and defeat. If, on the other hand, I
trust what God says about me that I’m carefully and wonderfully made in his
image and that my face is never covered in shame because I’m in Christ then I will
be filled with joy and love. As much as
I cannot control what another person says to me, I can choose to speak words of
life to others and meditate on excellent and praiseworthy words from the
Father, who is always speaking blessings over my life – it’s just up to me to
listen.
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn
you with unfailing kindness" (Jer 31:3).
