GUARD YOUR HEART AGAINST TOXIC WORDS

Words are powerful, they are so powerful that they frame the world we live in. wars are started by words and nations are built by words.

Some folks have mastered the art of using words to frame their world while others are still learners in school of using the word.

I have also learnt that the company one keeps to a large extent influence the words that the say.

You may have total control over the words that you say, but it is difficult almost impossible to have control over what people will say to you. My background growing up did not expose me to the use of vile hurtful words, so I used to think that people generally should use words that sooth as against toxic words. But adulthood and interacting with all manner of people has since changed that orientation for me. I have witnessed tears as a result of spoken words. I have had to talk people (more than one person) out of committing suicide rising from words that were spoken to them by someone.

The unfortunate thing is that some people who are Christians do not have Colossians 4:6 in them.

Col 4:6

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.

When you hear some believers talk to other people even sometimes to their children, I can’t help but wonder what or rather who really lives on their inside because if Jesus was the one living on their inside, I am certain He wouldn’t spit out such venom.

So, if I cannot control what you say, I can control how I choose to respond to what you say. We must master the art of dealing with the toxic words that others speak to us.

How do we do this you may ask? By following what the Word has instructed us to do which is guarding our hearts against them.

Prov 4:20-25

My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

So for every time someone tells you or calls you something that does not align with what the Word of God has said concerning you, just shut the gates of your heart and remind yourself who you are in Christ Jesus. Keep your eyes looking straight on at what God has said about you, completely ignoring they have said. 

And I beg you not to be angry at or mad at people who use vile words at you, people can only give what they have. You can pray for them but always ensure that you guard your heart against their toxic words by standing on God’s word about your life.

God Bless You!

THE DAY OF SILENCE

The Easter weekend has come and gone and for many it marked the remembrance of Christ and what His death and resurrection signifies for us as the body of Christ.

I do not assume that this is same for everyone as it only provided another opportunity for some to either rest, hangout with friends and family or make more sales depending on which category one chooses to fall into.

For me, it was another opportunity to reflect. I sat there thinking about the silent day…

Good Friday is celebrated as the day Jesus was crucified on the cross. That was the day He was nailed for a crime He never committed. Easter Sunday is celebrated as the day Jesus rose from amongst the dead and handed us the keys and power over death. However, not much is celebrated about the day in between.

As I sat meditating, I could see the disciples in the upper room mourning the loss of their Master. I could hear the anguish in their voice. Most of them had even forgotten the promise that He will rise again on the third day. Some of them were wondering how such a thing could be. They had witnessed Him raise the dead, even remembered the case of Lazarus who was brought back to life after four days but the question kept playing in their minds; ‘how can these things be?’. Some of them strongly believed that something would happen, but they just kept trying to play out several scenarios in their minds about how the resurrection was going to happen.

And then I saw Jesus doing battle. It was a serious heated battle but He was fighting it alone and He was winning. He was winning in grand style, sweat dropping off His face, arm and shoulders. The sheer strength with which He fought was just lovely to behold.

It then appeared like the screen split and I could see both pictures at the same time. The screen on top had the disciples in the upper room silently mourning the loss of their Master with their heads cast down in sorrow and anguish while the screen below had Jesus winning the battle over sin and death for as many that will accept and acknowledge Him.

I could hear the Lord say to me; the silent day in between was when the battle was fought and won. He said to me; imagine if the disciples had spent that whole day in thanksgiving remembering that their Master had promised to return on the third day…

He said to me; same thing still happens today. I have made numerous promises to My children, they hear it, receive it, but during the silent day, while I work, instead of them staying thankful in anticipation of what I am doing and await my promise to them, they worry and complain and murmur amongst themselves completely ignorant of what I am doing.

The silent day is a day of rejoicing in thanksgiving and anticipation of the victory of the promise. It may not look like it on the outside, but the Lord is working out a great victory on your behalf. Stay expectant and hold fast unto the Promise. It may tarry, but it will surely come to pass.

Amen!