The Power of Your Words

I was at a Pastors training a couple years back. It was something I went to once a month, and it required lots of work. There were books to read, reflection and self-examination of my own habits and leadership practices. It was an awesome time, but also a challenging one. 

At the end of one of these day long trainings, the pastor who was leading it, walked up to ask me how I was doing. We talked for a moment, and he said the simple phrase, "I am really proud of you Daniel, you're doing a really awesome job." I threw out my normal response by sheepishly thanking him, not sure how to respond.

But on the inside, something pretty significant happened. His statement rocked me. It totally threw me off how much his simple sentence had affected me. When he said, "He was proud of me." It was as if I won the lottery, or that he had opened a door for me that would lead to good fortune. 

I wasn't in a place of being particularly low, but his words had clearly hit a chord with me. 

In the end, I think what happened was, I experienced what it feels like when someone you respect and look up to speaks life into you. This leader, this pastor, said he saw something great in me, and he told me he thought that I had what it takes.

His words held power, and he used that power to lift me up, to encourage me, and to propel me forward.

Proverbs 18:21a says "The tongue has the power of life and death."

Regardless of where you are in life, what you do, how old you are, what you have accomplished, there are people that look to you and see someone they look up to.

You hold the power to encourage them, to propel them forward, to speak life into them. 

Your words hold power, use that power to build others up. You would be surprised what your simple words of encouragement will do for them.

Offer God Glory, Not Groaning

Sometimes life is so filled with difficulty, it's hard to see any bright spots shining through. But, most of the time life is a messy stew of good and bad, up and down, sickness and health, joy and sorrow. 

During the times when life gives us the normal flow of good with bad, we have a choice in how we respond. We can focus on the good, or we can focus on the bad. We can dwell on the good, or we can dwell on the bad. 

Before I go any further, let me say, I am not a proponent of "pretend like everything is great." I think we have all had our fill of canned religious responses.

"How are you today?" is often met with, "I am filled with joy and wonder, and thriving in faith and mercy!" 

Let's be honest with ourselves and each other, and admit that life can be really hard sometimes; but when we understand the reality of God's presence with us, and the love He has for us, even the darkest times, aren't completely dark.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Seems like kind of a crazy idea when you first read it. I don't think the author Paul is telling us to say, "Thanks God for my headache." I think a more accurate perspective is that, when things aren't going well, to thank God that you aren't alone and He is with you. When you experience loss, thank God that He gives so many great gifts. 

It's more than the discipline of thanking God for what we have, even during tough times, it's reminding ourselves of where we stand. It's putting our focus on the big picture, not on the current struggle. 

When we choose to give God glory, instead of groaning, it will change both our perspective, and our attitude. 

Ups and Downs

I remember the first time I read about Elijah's story in 1 Kings 18 and 19 in the Old Testament. I was so blown away by what happened.

I was captivated by his ability to stand up and speak of his faith in God, even when he was surrounded by hundreds of people who passionately disagreed. My mind spun at the miracle that God accomplished of sending down fire to consume the altar and the sacrifice. 

If you haven't read 1 Kings 18, you should stop right now and read it. Click here to check it out online if you don't have a Bible with you. Start in verse 20. 

This part of the story was amazing to me. There is so much there to chew on, to consider, and to think about.

But this wasn't the part of the story that got my attention. It was the first part of the next chapter, chapter 19. 

After all these amazing things, after the miracles and everything, Elijah heard someone was angry with him, and was coming after him; so he ran and hid. 

The guy who just saw God send down fire from heaven, the guy who just stood in faith in front of a massive crowd, trusting God to do something amazing, ran and hid. 

More than that, after he ran and hid, he sat under a bush and wished he was dead. 

I was amazed at this part of the story. I think I was mostly captivated, because I completely related. 

I have always found it disturbingly easy to go from feeling on top of the world, to unsure the sun will ever shine again. Maybe some of you have felt the same way? 

Consider this though, the God who was faithful and there with Elijah in Chapter 18, was still with Elijah in Chapter 19. 

The support, power, and love that God had available to Elijah hadn't changed. What changed was Elijah's focus. He was no longer looking to God, he was looking at his circumstance. 

In the same way, we can become discouraged or disheartened when we look only at the circumstances around us, instead of to the God who is for us, the God who provides for us, the God who loves us.

So let me encourage you with this thought, instead of being driven by the circumstance of your day, good or bad, focus on the God who never changes, never forgets, and never leaves. When our eyes are fixed on Him, regardless of the challenge, we can stand confident and assured of Gods ability to take care of all that we need.

Keep your eyes on Him!