Don't speak the bleak!

Sometimes we women talk too much. We share too much. We advise to much. We get all up in everybody's business too much. Now don't get me wrong, I believe God created us with an innate ability to encourage those in our path; we absolutely need to speak into people's lives and do our best to help them be their best. But there also are times when we need to take a look at our own selves. What is coming out of our mouths about our personal situations? Is there something that God has spoke to my heart that is just for me, and in due time God will reveal it to everyone else around me, but in the mean time I'm to just ponder it in my heart? Or am I in a difficult season of life and I find myself speaking negativity over the situation, only further burying any potential for turnaround into the ground? Things I've been pondering lately...

Proverbs tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. So that tells me that I have the ability within my own mouth to bring life to a situation or to curse it with death. I'm all for being realistic when describing a difficult situation, I totally get that. But I also don't want the words that flow from my mouth during said description to further cause harm. Our words are powerful. We flippantly throw negative things around, and then wonder why the heck everything is going south in our lives. "I'll never figure this out." "I can't beat this health problem, it's too bad." "My kid's are so rebellious, I can't do anything with them." "I hate the way I look, I'm so fat." "I wish I had so and so's life." "I'll never pay my bills." "It's flu season, I'm sure I'll get it."

Anyone?

Again, I get being realistic, I do. Faith talk sometimes takes baby steps. So how about starting with a blend of realism and faith, flipping our confession from negative to positive. "This is difficult but with God's strength I know I can do it!" "My kids are awesome, I know God is taking their difficulty and working in their lives even if I don't see it." "I may not see myself how God does, but I'm getting there! I know He see's me as His beautiful creation so I'm doing my best to see that too!" "God promises to supply my need according to His riches, so I'll trust Him in this season." "I thank you Lord for health in my body & I don't receive anything that's going around this year!"

"You can't talk defeat and expect to have victory. You can't talk lack and expect to have abundance. You will produce what you say." - Joel Osteen

Romans 12:2 struck me in a different way today, it says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The world is negative, no doubt about that. Turn on any news station and it's filled with doom and gloom. Listen to the conversations of your co-workers and it's negative. Next time you are in the check out line at the store, I'll venture to say if you listen close enough, you'll hear negative talk all around you. So the Bible is telling us not to be like the world! Why? Because we are not OF this world. We are simply strangers passing through. This world is not our home. This world and it's struggles are not our eternity. So if we are going to make a difference during our stay here on planet earth, then we need to go further in the scripture we just read; having our mind transformed so that we can prove what's good and acceptable! We can't prove the perfect will of God if we are stuck in our negative world. No, we have to get out of that zone, get out of what the world deems acceptable and normal, and move into a new realm that's filled with a transformed mind! A mind that's been transformed has no room for negativity. A transformed mind is so overcome with grace and with mercy that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth is speaking positive, the mouth is speaking faith. How is our mind transformed? Through the Word. And the Word of God is anything but negative. So take scripture and shout it from the rooftops and watch in amazement what God will do!

A thought like this would be remiss without mentioning Romans 4:17, that we are to "call those things that are not as though they were." Is your situation bleak? Don't speak the bleak! Speak out by faith what you are believing God to do in that particular situation. Call it out! Let the fruit that flows from your mouth be positive, declaring the good things of God.

I'm the head and not the tail, I'm above and not beneath. I have more than enough! Through God's strength, I have what it takes. Whatever I put my hands to do will prosper! I thank you Lord that my kids will serve you with their whole heart! I believe that my finances are on the upswing. I am loved by almighty God, my sins are forgiven, I'm covered in mercy, and I'm just passing through, You have a home for me in Glory! I'll do my best on this earth to make a difference in the lives around me, leading them to you through my life.

Get your faith up today! NO MATTER WHAT. Faith that's not tested is faith that can't be trusted. Are you being tested today? The Bible says to "Count it all joy." Yuck. We don't like that. Joy? Really? Yes. Really. Your test is proof that God's not through with the situation. He has the last word, He gives the score, He has the final say. So walk through your test with your head held high, knowing that if God be for you, can't nobody be against you today!

Edited to add: I'm still pondering! It really comes down to a trust issue. Faith equals trust. As I speak faith over my situations, do I then believe God to actually do what I'm speaking He will do? I have some things I'm speaking faith over...so now it's up to me to put my total trust in God to bring to pass what I am speaking. Amen and amen.