The Power of Words

The Power of Words

By Apostle Felix

37  Your very words will be used as evidence against you, and your words will declare you either innocent or guilty.”
Matthew 12: 37

Words are pivotal to a life of possibility. There is a common cliche among women, especially, of calling themselves and their children shame. It sounds so innocent but yet have harmful consequences on one’s life. You cannot continue calling yourself shame and at the same time escape shame. Shame is not something one should be desiring. Jesus went through all the shame and humiliation so that you should be free from shame. Words are powerful and have the potential to set your life in a certain course of life. It has the power to condemn and the power to justify. Jesus was very conscious of the words He used. He was not careless in His usage of words. Jesus, when He heard about the death of Lazarus, He called Lazarus’ state as one who was only sleeping.

11  Then Jesus added, “Lazarus, our friend, has just fallen asleep. It’s time that I go and awaken him.”
12  When they heard this, the disciples replied, “Lord, if he has just fallen asleep, then he’ll get better.”
13  Jesus was speaking about Lazarus’ death, but the disciples presumed he was talking about natural sleep.
14  Then Jesus made it plain to them, “Lazarus is dead. 

John 11: 11 – 14

Jesus was not in denial of Lazarus’ death. No, He was declaring the possibility power of God in the situation. He could not affirm Lazarus’ death and go ahead to resurrect him. He had to speak what He expected from the situation. He spoke life, instead of death. Before Jesus arrived at the funeral, He was met by one of Lazarus’ sisters, Martha. Of course, she was bereaved and grieving her brother’s death. But yet Jesus was trying to shift her faith from the loss of her brother to Jesus’ possibility power to bring her brother back to life.

21  Martha said to Jesus, “My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22  But I know that if you were to ask God for anything, he would do it for you.”
23  Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise and live.”
24  She replied, “Yes, I know he will rise with everyone else on resurrection day.”
25  “Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. 

John 11: 21 – 25

However, Jesus went ahead to resurrect Lazarus despite the unbelief displayed from the people around. He resurrected Lazarus because He is full of grace and mercy. And besides, He was physically on earth and He had already declared the end result of the situation. Jesus is not physically here on earth but He lives in us by His Spirit. We are expected to represent Jesus well in the manner we use words in our every day life. He delegated His authority and power to believers to exercise it through words. Just like He exercised authority over death when He resurrected Lazarus from the dead, so He wants us to exercise authority over circumstances of life with words. Take charge of your circumstances by the words of your mouth. Do not allow your words to be influenced by what you are going through. Let the word of your mouth be influenced by the word of God.