While living in Virginia, I had the opportunity to go on a short cruise aboard a United States aircraft carrier. This aircraft carrier is not a small ship by any means—its deck is about four and one-half acres in size. Aboard this ship, I was quite amazed to learn that a small wheel about the size of a car’s steering wheel, when turned by the helmsman, had the power to completely change the direction of this large vessel.
Have you ever considered the power behind the words we speak? Just as the small but powerful wheel on this giant ship had the power to change the ship’s course, so we can use the power of edifying words to help change the direction of someone’s life.
We will see that we can speak words that minister grace to others by preparing ourselves through our study and confession of God’s Word. We will also look at scriptures showing the life-changing, positive impact words can have on others. Words are powerful and can have a positive or negative impact on people. God’s desire is for us as born-again believers to speak words that are good and edifying, words that minister God’s grace to the listener.
Ephesians 4:29:
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Our words can be put to good use—the use of edifying, or building up, another individual, bringing strength to that person’s life. God’s Word and will are good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:2). As we speak His Word to others, the spoken Word will have a good, acceptable, and perfect effect upon those who listen. God’s grace, or divine favor, is imparted to these willing recipients. And we have the superb joy and privilege to share God’s grace and loving-kindness to meet the needs of others. We do this out of the love of and for God that is in our hearts.
The first step we can take to speak words that minister grace to others is to allow God’s Word to dwell in us richly through our faithful reading and study of the Scriptures. This involves an earnest effort and a wise use of our time. It is certainly worth our time and effort to read and study God’s Word because it contains the answers to life and how we are to live.
II Peter 1:3:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
Our heavenly Father wants the best for His children. By making a diligent effort to study and gain the knowledge that pertains to God, we learn the keys to life and living. As we learn these truths, God desires that we keep them central and fixed in our hearts so we may live! The Book of Proverbs expresses this truth.
Proverbs 7:2:
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
The “apple of thine eye” refers to the pupil, right in the center of the eyeball. It is carefully and securely centered, firmly and deeply fixed. Similarly, God desires that we keep His Word firmly fixed in our hearts. We accomplish this by setting aside time to enjoy reading and studying God’s Word each day. Keeping God’s Word firmly fixed in our hearts, we can truly live life as God intended it to be lived, and we can help others do the same. Our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, is the perfect example of one who kept God’s Word dwelling richly and securely within him. He knew God’s Word from Genesis to Malachi. As a result, those Old Testament scriptures in his heart were always on his lips.
After we read and study God’s Word, we hold it fast through our confession so that it becomes a part of our believing hearts.
Hebrews 10:23:
Let us hold fast the profession [confession] of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
We do our part by holding fast our confession. The Greek word used here for “profession,” or confession, means to agree with or to speak the same thing with another. Our words are to agree with God’s Word and all He has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Am I in need of healing? Then my confession is I Peter 2:24, that by Jesus Christ’s stripes I was healed. Is my need financial abundance or a better job? My confession is to agree with God’s Word in Philippians 4:19, that my God shall supply all my need.
Believing holds fast to the confession of God’s Word. Sense knowledge holds fast to the confession of physical evidences. When we believe, we hold fast to the confession that the Word in our hearts is true, regardless of the evidences in the senses realm. This reminds me of a quote by our Founding President, Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille, “The Word is more sure than the ground you walk on. This world will be gone someday, but the Word of God lives and abides forever.” God’s Word spoken with believing is sure and trustworthy with the power to change the course of any situation. We confess from the heart, with our mouth, what has been confirmed by the Word, regardless of what the five senses may register. Soon that confession becomes a reality in our lives….
This is an excerpt from the January/February 2013 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2013 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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