Choose Your Words

by Jalexus McClendon

As we walked up to the park which included a full jungle gym playground, I saw my son immediately place his eyes on the monkey bars with determination. On his first try and after holding onto the first bar, he said, “Wow. I forgot how this hurts my hands, I can’t do this.” He jumped down and looked at his hands, noticing the redness that had already appeared. The next thing I knew he was circling back to hop on the bars again. It was time for a second try: “I can do this,” he said out loud as he went across the bars one by one with with proficiency.

He looked at me with the biggest smile and seemed somewhat surprised that he was successfully tackling this task that had him discouraged just a few moments prior. I shouted “I knew you could do it!” He continued to go from one end of the bars to the other, and at one point stated, “I keep getting better at this.” I noticed his speed and ultimately his confidence continued to grow! I was inspired in this moment listening to my son, a child, talk his way past the negative thoughts and into truth! This is not always an easy thing to do and I know that from my personal experience. Maybe you can also relate.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. – Proverbs 18:21-

If there is anything we can take from my son’s experience on the monkey bars, it is that words have power! Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue! My son saw a test and like him when we are at the edge and challenged, may the words we choose be ones of life and truth. May our thoughts and words not talk us out of what we are able to do. Instead may we remember that God made us more capable than we think we are. What often stops us from meeting our full potential are the words we speak to ourselves. We must make the conscious decision to choose our words! My beloved Bishop would often say, “Your confession is your possession”. Now this is not just a cliché, rhyming, motivational statement but it is biblically rooted truth! The very creation of the universe began because of words spoken! Genesis 1:3 reads ” And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” It is a popular worldly principle that you must see something first in order to believe it, but Biblically God SPOKE and then God SAW. Another verse that places heavy emphasis on the power of what we speak is Romans 10:9 ” If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We speak to receive Salvation and accept Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life! So when we speak, it should always be life!

I remember growing up as a young child and my mother would often say “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” Though the saying is not a biblical one it is still great advice to live by, rather it pertains to speaking to ourselves or to others. Another old saying is “Sticks and stones may broke my bones but words can never hurt me”. Now it probably will not take much convincing for me to get you to understand that statement is not true! Words released have the power to catapult you into what God has for you or cripple you into a stagnant state. I remind you that death and life are in the power of the tongue. If you are not speaking life, then the opposite is death! Death is the permanent ending or killing of a thing. When speaking death, we allow doubt to settle in, and ultimately we end up denying what God has promised us.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”– John 10:10

God’s desire for us is to have life and to have it abundantly! That means living life to the fullest and for His glory. We must not allow the obstacles we face in life to cause us to forget or doubt what God has already spoken to us. We must not allow what we see to cause us to change what we say! Our circumstances must not cause us to change our confession. God reveals a promise to us, or gives us a desire to do something. There is a process we must go through before getting to that promise. As we go through the process we have the responsibility to speak the Word only. There may be times during the process that it appears that things are not working out the way we believe they should. I’m reminded of Romans 8:28 “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” During those seemingly dark, trying, and sometimes lonely moments, may our confession be that despite what it looks like, I will have what God has for me. May our confession be that despite what it feels like I will accomplish the task that God has given me. May our confession be that what God has spoken will come to pass because He will perform His will! Christ has already secured our victory to overcome anything the enemy tries to throw our way. When we view our lives through the lens of victory, it becomes much easier to stand firm and to say what God has said regardless of what we see. My beloved spiritual father would often say, “When adversity comes, add a verse.” We have a beautiful example of this when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The enemy tried to distract Jesus and deter Him from his God given purpose. The enemy tried to plant fear and unbelief. Jesus did not respond with doubt and uncertainty but rather responded with authority as He spoke the Word of God. I say again, we must Speak the Word only!

Take the time out to study God’s word and identify the verses that apply to what you are preparing to see manifest! Your time in His Word is the nourishment and support needed for your process to what He has promised. Do not allow negative speech to distract or deter you from believing what God has already spoken. Speak life! Do not speak death and call dead what is meant to live and has yet to be birthed out of you! I encourage you to watch the words you speak and make a commitment to speak life over yourself, your family, your finances, your health, your career, your businesses, your relationships and your future. Continue to say what God says, and watch Him respond to your faith!

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