The tongue is the most powerful member of your body. Not your glutes, not your quads, shoulders, back
or biceps. The words that roll off your tongue are so potent that they have the
power to move mountains and change lives for good or for bad. Words will determine the course of a life just
as a bit in a horse’s mouth will determine the direction its body will turn (James
3:3).
The Bible states that what we say is what we get. We speak what we believe, many times to our
demise when we are snared by the words of our mouths (Proverbs 6:2). We say
things like, “Nothing ever goes right for me,” or “I don't believe that will work” and then
wonder why our lives are a mess, or we’re not empowered when we pray.
Jesus said, “Out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). If
we’re feeding our minds and hearts negative information, our lives will take a negative turn, because what enters our eyes and ears determines what we think and believe, and eventually shows up in our lives by way of our words and actions. (Read more in Guard Your
Heart.)
Jesus said that we
will have what we say, and that we can move mountains and change lives by
believing, praying, and speaking our desires. He said that if a
person “shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which
he says shall come to pass: he shall
have whatsoever he says” (Mark
11:22-24).
Most of us have had a
lopsided view of this promise, believing that only
the good things we say will come to pass. Yet this verse
does not differentiate between good and bad. It doesn't say that whatever you believe and say that is good will come to you. It says you shall have WHATEVER, that
means whatever you believe and say, whether good or bad.
People tend to believe that if they use
negative words, they will get positive results, which rarely ever happens. Some
believe that by criticizing a person it will motivate him or her to do better.
They say things like, “You’re fat, dumb, lazy or sloppy” in hopes of prodding
the person to lose weight, study harder, get a job, or clean up his act. The critic doesn't seem to
understand that the motivation to rise and better another person does not
come through negative words of condemnation, but through positive words of praise.
Therefore, criticism keeps the recipient stuck in his situation,
fulfilling the conditions that Jesus set forth,“You shall have whatsoever you say.” Tell your co-worker, spouse, or child that he or she is stupid or a loser and they will not disappoint you. They will live out your low expectation of
them, unless they have enough inner-fortitude to rise up and prove you wrong. On the flip-side, if you tell them that they did a good job they will be encouraged to do even better.
On judgment day, we shall give account for every idle
word that we have spoken and be justified or condemned by them (Matthew 12:36). This life review may be like an echo, as our words bounce back to us to have a positive or negative effect on our lives. Words have the power to create or
destroy. Therefore, our desire and prayer should be, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
