Power. We all have it, but we don't think we do, or we don't think we have the right kind. I'm quickly realizing there are 2 reasons we think this way. 1. We are misusing our power and 2. We underestimate our ability to walk in that power.
Today I'm specifically speaking about the power of our words. At first this realization was slow, each day learning a bit more about the power I have, then all of a sudden the flood gate opened and my mind is racing with how imperative our words are. As a mother, as a wife, and as a Daughter of the Most High my words are POWERFUL!
Our words can change everything. Seriously. The realization of this power started with my children. When I spoke negative things like; shyness, grumpiness, Drama Queen, spoiled, etc., over my children it gave them permission to act in it! They were meeting my expectations! I had been speaking 'death' over my kids, and over my attitude with them. I not only gave them permission to act that way, I gave myself an excuse to let them act that way. So the first step was to stop speaking negative things over my kids. But it's not enough to stop speaking negative things over them! Just like when the Angel of the Lord called a weak and pretty un-mighty Gideon mighty, we need to speak 'life' over our children! We need to call out of our children what we desire them to be! Example. When my child is grumpy, and really, he is, instead of speaking that against him I have been saying, "Oh what a happy boy! You are so joyful! Can momma see that handsome smile?" And so on. Sometimes he continues to cry, sometimes it gets worse, but more times than not, he stops crying and does start smiling! But even if his actions don't change, cause face it, he's 6 months old and he continues to cry, something miraculous happens in me! My attitude and heart changes towards his bad mood. For Kaylee, my almost 3 year old, instead of saying you're not a very good sharer or, a good listener, etc. I find something she is, "You are such a great hugger/kisser/sister..." When I praise her instead of telling her what she's doing wrong, her desire to listen and please me increases. She wants to make her momma happy! My heart also changes, and my patience increases!
Need more Biblical evidence? Just look at Corinthians, in chapter 1, verse 2 Paul addresses his letter "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus..." He calls them sanctified, holy, then spends the next 16 chapters telling them how UN-sanctified they are! He builds them up and then corrects! He doesn't come right out and say how jacked up they are!
I've mentioned a little how my heart changed towards my kids when I speak life instead of death but my biggest noticeable heart change has been towards my husband. Now, I love Frank, very much but I don't always have a good attitude towards him. I usually feel like there is more he can do to help me, with the kids, around the house... His honey-do list, for example, just grows and things only get crossed off when I finally break down and do it. So I would speak laziness or unhelpfulness over him. Well, when I stopped speaking or thinking those things over him and started speaking and thinking about what a hard worker he is, I was amazed how quickly my opinion changed. He really IS a hard worker! And he really helps me a lot with the kids, and around the house. I wasn't giving him the credit he so rightly deserved. I could only see what wasn't done and I was constantly frustrated. So when I started to praise him for all he does do, instead of nagging about what he didn't do, my appreciation grew and I stopped nagging. Well. Funny how things work. When I stopped nagging and speaking death over him, and started to praise him, he started to help me with all the things I really wished he had done all along. He wants to help me! He even asks what else he can help me with!
Now from a Heavenly standpoint. I'm still working on this one. But I'm learning that the more I put my self in the Lord's presence each day, the more He speaks to me and answers my prayers. My relationship with God has become more of a relationship and less like a wish list of things I'd like His intervention on. I am also learning about my power in Christ's name. Of course, I'm learning to respond to the things that the Lord has spoken over me, I worry less about my own agenda and worry more about His. My desire is to please Him with a happy heart, and to love, love, love! And how quickly my heart will change when instead of complaining I have a heart of thankfulness and praise! He makes all things new, my heart included, every time the enemy plants a seed of discontent.
