The words and the thoughts that we speak hold residency and real estate in our hearts and in our lives.
I’ve been reminded in some profound ways, that the words we speak in private affect us in public ways.
Those things in the dark, always find a way of coming to the light. I find that in and of itself to be so very incredible.
I mean, nothing that you’ve done or have done will forever remain a secret. Whether you have long passed away or simply decided to make a change of scenery.
Wherever you go, there you are.
And the words you say about other people, in your critical and judgmental moods, say far more about you, than the person you are directing your anger towards.
Because in the end, we all eat our own words.
Are your words nourishing you, or destroying you like a cancer.
Are you gathering life because of the words you speak about other people and circumstances (that you may or may not agree with), or is your soul slowly decaying because of what is coming out of your own thoughts and mouth (and writing....status updates, comments, etc.)?
It’s fascinating to me that our thoughts are not some ethereal nothingness, but they actually take shape in our natural physical world—first and foremost in our own bodies!
Thoughts have substance. Thoughts occupy mental real estate. Your thoughts produce proteins, the bodies building blocks, which form real structures that change the landscape of your brain!
The thoughts we think grow branches on nerve cells in the brain. These nerve cells which looks like trees. Scientists have therefore called these nerve cells ‘The Magic Trees of the Mind’ because they look like a forest of trees under the microscope. Our thoughts shape these ‘trees’. Our thoughts therefore determine what our brain becomes. Our quality of life depends on what our brain has become. This knowledge gives us a whole new perspective on the statement, ’As a man thinks in his heart, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7).
Credit: Dr. Caroline Leaf (Cognitive neuroscientist with a PhD in Communication Pathology specializing in Neuropsychology)
Which of course, Jesus wrecked the constructs of the religious community in His day because He blatantly pointed out, outside actions are meaningless if the inner life--our thought life is a hot mess.
“27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” –Matthew 5:27-28
I mean. Wow, Jesus. Talk about getting personal, about personal thangs…
But in the end, I believe Jesus was also trying to get us to understand and live in the truth, that God sees WAY past all our own hype and pretense. So stop trying to fake the funk and just let God in…like all the way. Or for some of us, let Him in again and afresh.
Because sometimes your life path or life history can make you a bit salty and prideful.
The biggest challenges I’ve faced in my love walk and faith in God over the course of my life have been:
1. Keeping my heart soft and open
2. Not getting trapped and stuck in Unbelief
And how have I kept my heart soft and stayed clear of being completely drowned by unbelief?
It all boils down to the words that I think, the words that I speak, and the words that I feed myself.
We become what we behold.
The more I listen to and read in the Bible what God really thinks about me--that I’m worth dying for (John 3:16) that He loves me so much that He’s actually planned out a good future for me, and He’s actually hopeful about it. (Jeremiah 29:11) and when God thinks about me, He actually sings and dances over me with delight (Zephaniah 3:17)
There’s life there.
These words are my lifeline.
The more I meditate on these things, they begin to inundate my thoughts and my speech, and ergo my life.
Profound imprints, these little words of ours have.
I came across this today, as I planned to write this post:
"Connect by Using Constructive Words
Did you know that the words that come out of our mouths are like a tool?
Sometimes they're like a sledgehammer. We swing away without thinking and end up with a pile of relational rubble. Sometimes they're like a saw, cutting people down. If we keep using these tools, inevitably our relationships are going to suffer.
One reason we aren't constructive with our words is we don't realize how powerful they are; yet, I bet you can still remember things people said to you in a thoughtless way as far back as grade school or college. That's how powerful words are. They leave a lasting impact. So when it comes to your mouth, think of it as a power tool and be very careful with it.
Here's how to build instead of destroying with your words --
Stop excusing -- Stop saying, "I didn't really mean to say that." Realize that what you say impacts everyone around you.
Talk less -- If it's a power tool, you don't have to use it as much. One of the reasons we get in trouble is we just talk too much sometimes.
Listen more -- If I listen more, I can understand people's needs.
Start building -- Think first of all, "What do they need?" How can I use a word of encouragement to build them up? How can I use a word of challenge to make a difference in someone's life? How can I use my words to build up the people I love the most" -
Credit: Rick Warren
Wisdom’s Knocking:
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”
-- Ephesians 4:29 NLT