😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1. Even before the Father brought creation to life, the Word was with the Father. But not just with the Father, the Word was and still is God. In that one sentence from John 1:1 we are given just a taste of the incredible power and awesomeness of the Word. Is it a coincidence that Christ is referred to as the Word? No. Is it a coincidence that the Word was present and engaged from the very beginning? No. The Father chose His words very intentionally when brining life to all of creation.
So then, there should be no surprise that words are powerful, with the ability to raise someone to life or mortally wound someone for life. Words spoken to us, can play back in our minds over and over again like a broken record, wounding us or building us up every single time we hear them. We have all been hurt and have hurt others to different degrees by words and they can hurt worse than any physical pain, which is why prayer should come before words. We cannot control how others will respond, so all we can do is discern our responses and filter out all those words that don’t bring forth life. The desire to always be right, by proving the other person wrong, should not be our go to response in a situation. In the movie Bambi, we hear Thumper sharing his father’s wisdom when he states, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.” Even a fish won’t get caught if it keeps its mouth shut.
Right here, right now, you have the ability and power to turn our culture around by willfully accepting guidance from the Holy Spirit, responding and speaking with words inspired by the Holy Spirit, and starting these God ordained conversations and restoration within the walls of your home, with family. As long as the family is broken, the rest of the world will be broken. The God ordained change and conversion will come when we speak life into our family, that will flow into the church and community.
Start right here, right now! Don’t focus on how someone else hurt you. Focus and act upon how you have hurt someone and the reconciliation and restoration only you can bring, with and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Bless others and be blessed.
Shelly :0)
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#TobyMac – Speak Life
Third Day Devotions 