How To Be Strong And Courageous When All Hell Is Breaking Loose In Your Life Part 3 - Review
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So tell me, how's life? Good? Great? Not so great? Downright terrible? Maybe it's a mixture of all of the above?
We've all been through something or a lot of "somethings" that attempt to mow us down, leaving us in the dust feeling defeated.
We have a God-given purpose, and if we give up in these moments, others in this world will miss out on what we're supposed to bring to them. It could be that you’re serving people through your business, showing love to your friends, or encouraging your family.
In part one of this series, we talked about learning to respond in faith rather than continue in fear when it seems like all hell is breaking loose in our lives. If you missed it, click here to catch up.
To respond in faith will take growth. We can implement specific steps, so faith becomes our first response to the negative stuff that happens instead of our last. In part two, we learn the first and foundational step is to Renew.
We must renew our minds to what God says about us and our situation. This crucial step starts to build our strength and courage so we can face whatever comes our way. Again, if you missed that one, you can Watch, Listen or Read by clicking here.
Speaking of Renewing our minds, have you ever heard, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? Um, that's the biggest load of crock we bought as kids.
The negative words I heard as a kid hurt me far more than sticks and stones.
Although, there was that one time when sticks and stones really did hurt me.
When I was 5, we lived on an acre of land with goats, a garden and even a cherry tree. We had it all. My favorite feature was the sawmill behind the house. We would jump off the gigantic sawdust piles filling our shorts with the itchy stuff. Fun right?
Now, my brother was continually experimenting, aka destroying things. This particular day, he took a longboard and created a see-saw. Well, just sitting on it going up and down was too boring. So, he gets the brilliant notion of putting a rock on one end and jumping on the other end, flinging the rock into the sky.
I can remember searching the horizon for the stoney projectile when…thunk. It nails me in the back of the head. I feel blood trickle down onto my neck as my mom rushes me into the house to stop the bleeding.
That injury did hurt for a day or so, but I promise you those harsh words my best friend wrote to me in the 6th grade haunted me for decades.
Word hurt. But, words can also heal.
Proverbs 18:21 NASB
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Our Father God used words to speak our world into existence. Our words have that same power because we are made in His image.
Step Two: Review
The second step to learn to respond in faith instead of continuing in fear is review.
We need to review what we're saying. What words are coming out of our mouths regularly?
We can use words to build up, or we can use them to tear down.
We can use words create, or we can use them to destroy.
We can use words to envision a better future, or we can use words to imagine the worst-case scenario.
We get to choose the impact on our lives by the words we choose to speak (or think).
Have you ever said something in the heat of the moment that you regret? Or, maybe you messed up and "you idiot" flew out of your mouth without you even thinking about it?
It can be easy to let whatever comes into your mind come out of your mouth without even thinking about it. Everything you say first starts as a thought. But, just because you think it doesn't mean you should say it.
In Andy Andrews' book, The Noticer, a character named Jones tells Andy, "You can't believe everything you think."
Just because you think it doesn't make it true.
Like when I thought, "You're an idiot," or, "Can't you ever get this right?" Or, my favorite, "Who do you think you are to try and make a difference in this world?"
None of these thoughts are true. They may feel true at the time. I may even say something that is a fact. Yet they are not THE TRUTH.
THE TRUTH supersedes the facts. Like when an airplane supersedes the law of gravity with the law of lift and a fifty-ton piece of metal flies through the air.
Our world may indeed feel like it's falling apart. It may be a fact we don't have enough money to pay all the bills. It may be a fact that the doctor gave us a bad report, or our kids are failing Algebra. It may be a fact we don't know everything we need to know to fulfill our dreams.
Yet, there is a higher truth that supersedes these facts to pull us through.
Jesus said, "I am the way, THE TRUTH and the life (John 14:6)."
John 16:13 NASB
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Does anyone remember those WWJD bracelets? What would Jesus do?
Wow, I just dated myself. I hadn't thought of that thing in years…LOL.
You were supposed to wear it. Then stop before you did something and ask yourself, “what would Jesus do in this situation?”
Well, what if we started asking ourselves, "What would Jesus speak?"
Remember, our words are powerful. They bring life or death.
So to review your words, ask yourself, "Is this something that Jesus would say?"
If it's not, ask yourself, "What should I say?"
In his book Soundtracks, Jon Acuff shared three questions to review your thoughts. These questions can also apply to your words because, remember, it all starts with your thoughts anyway.
Three Questions to Review Your Words:
Is what I'm saying true?
Is what I'm saying helpful?
Is what I'm saying kind?
Try this and see what comes to light as you review your words.
As you continually review what you say, you will start to shift your words. You'll notice you are now speaking life instead of speaking words that harm you or those around you. I can't remember the last time I called myself an idiot when I messed up. You know, that's a good feeling.
When you change your words to speak truth and life, you start believing it. You're building your faith muscle. You're becoming strong and courageous so that you can take on the challenges of life.
Next week, I share with you step three so you can respond in faith and become that strong and courageous person we all want to be.