*Did you know that the words you speak over yourself have power? Do you ever say, "I'm such an idiot" or the like, when you make a mistake? Do you use your clothing to speak silently about yourself (flashy clothing to say "Please look at me, I feel invisible," or drab and oversized clothes to say, "I'm hiding because I don't think I'm worth seeing")? Harsh words, audible or not, actually break your spirit. The Bible says that perverseness in the tongue breaks the spirit! The very deepest part of you. Even if you think you're just saying something silly in gest, you may be agreeing with Hell in the lies you say about yourself and others.
God illustrated this powerful truth to me years ago in a dream. When I was in 3rd grade, I had a teacher named Mrs. Fernandez. She was this lively, hilarious tornado of a woman. She had a catchphrase I actually thought was so funny at the time that I even made up a song about it. Whenever I acted up in class (that year, I discovered that my peers thought I was funny, so I put my humor on display a good bit!), she would say to me, "Stacey! What is your problem in life!" I thought it was so crazy to ask an 8 year old that question, so it became funny to me! But in the dream I had recently, I was recounting her phrase to someone. Jesus was there, and He said, "That's not funny. That's a terrible thing to say to a child."
That so impacted me. Not only because of the truth behind it, but because of His protective care towards even the things we don't know enough to care about! But He knew what I didn't; a. the intent behind the words (the Bible says a lying tongue hates those it hurts. I didn't have a problem in life as I belonged to God who loved me, so Mrs. Fernandez' words were lies.) and b. the vulnerability of my heart as an 8 year old. When I look back, it did make me feel embarrassed and silly (I was much less demonstrative in class after that year), but I didn't think it mattered.
So take care what you speak over yourself. Your words fill the atmosphere, and they have power to kill a person's spirit. It's not just what you say against them, but even how you gossip. Do you talk about celebrities, e.g. people you've never met and only know by hearsay, and evaluate their lives? Gossip goes deep into the person who hears it, and you're actually doing harm to the hearer when you speak this way. This isn't to judge you if you do, but to show you the bigger picture of what's happening so you can let God lift it out of your life. Like how I didn't know that Mrs. Fernandez' words were so bad, we all have blind spots. But obvious or not, it still has an effect. And, of course, we'll all give account for what we say!
But to anything bad, there's the flip side of something great! Our tongues have the power to speak life! The words of the righteous are a fountain of life! Imagine a well placed word of encouragement to someone in need. Or how about speaking a truth that enlightens someone and helps her turn her life around for the better. Haven't you ever been in a holding pattern or a downward spiral? Wasn't it good to have someone show you a better way? Or how about letting your clothes say, "I love what is in me, and I offer my beauty, creativity, sense of humor, etc. to you as the dignified woman that I am?" I didn't always feel that way, but you can always take your insecurity to God and ask Him to heal. Then you can speak truth over yourself and others, spreading light and life!
*Tee-shirt by J-Crew
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