Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Believe and Speak

You may be familiar with the exhortation from Paul in Ephesians 4:29

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it. [Amplified]

Paul says to only speak what is beneficial to the spiritual progress of others (other translations say, "what is helpful for building others up according to their needs" [NIV 2010] or "say only what helps, each word a gift" [Message]).  I think the underlying motive is love (wanting only what is best for others) and also the realization that words have power.

What I suggest is that you apply this same exhortation in "speaking to yourself".  You should only tell yourself what is beneficial to your spiritual progress and what will bless you in the Lord.  When you do this you are speaking the truth to yourself about what God says about you and who you are, and you are, in faith, believing God and giving God the glory.  As 2 Cor 4:13 says  "since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak".


Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  2 Corinthians 4:13-15

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