Life or Death

LIFE OR DEATH?

Father, You chose me and gave me life for which in return I gave You my heart.  I honour You!  Jesus Christ, You are my Saviour and my best friend.  Without You I am nothing.  Glory to Jesus!  Holy Spirit, I am lost without You.  You are my Counsellor and I adore You!  Amen!

Today I want to share something with you which we have read in the Bible and heard in sermons so many times before.  What I did realise is that although we know these things, we tend to forget it and hence act negligently without thinking and exercising the Word of God.

In Prov 18:21 it says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  Do we fully comprehend what this scripture says?  Many times when not in Christ, people speak negative words or curse others and they are not even aware that they are doing it.  They most probably don’t think it is wrong and probably don’t feel guilty.  However, the question here today is what about people in relationship with Christ?  They have given their lives to Jesus but so often still fall into the trap of cursing or speaking negative things over people and situations.  Let me use a scenario:

Driver A is driving in the fast lane travelling at a speed of 115 km per hour.  Driver B in front of driver A is driving in the fast lane, extremely slow at a speed of 100km per hour.  According to driver A, driver B is not obeying the rules for the fast lane and after 5 minutes starts flashing the car lights and showing driver B to move to the left.  Driver B is not interested or simply not moving to the left and once driver A passes driver B, he/she calls out names or say things like you are an incompetent and inconsiderate fool.  Driver B on the other hand, ignores driver A and says to him/herself that driver A is simply speeding and will someday still get him/herself killed.  Both are now frustrated and drive off not necessarily thinking about what they have just done.  So, let us rewind and analyse the situation:

The truth

• Driver B was not obeying the rule to keep left and pass right: Yes
• Driver B was driving to slow for the fast lane: Yes
• Driver A was not speeding for the maximum is 120km/h: Yes

Negative Actions and Words Spoken

• Driver A got impatient: Yes
• Driver A made negative remarks about driver B (Incompetent, inconsiderate, fool) Yes

• Driver B falsely accused driver A of speeding: Yes
• Driver B made negative remarks about driver A (someday still get him/herself killed): Yes

Looking at the above scenario, if not in relationship with Christ, they will probably not feel guilty and will tell others about the bad drivers on the road.  But how many of us who are in Christ do exactly the same?  What happened here is that driver B was driving in the wrong lane and not obeying the rules. Furthermore, both got angry and frustrated and cursed one another.  Yes, they cursed each other!  Dear reader, think about it for a moment.  Prov 18:21 is very clear to say that “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

This is serious and it means that what you speak will come true.  When people are ill, we proclaim with our mouth that Jesus died for them and that they are healed by His wounds, correct?  So if we believe what we speak, it happens.  Hence, the same apply the other way around.  If you curse and make negative remarks over others and yourself it will come to pass.  “O, God, please help us for we do not realise how we are hurting ourselves, other people and this world with just the way we speak.  Amen!”

Dear reader, today’s article is not for us to feel guilty, remember Christ set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2).  However, we need to realise that this world is in a lot of pain and much of it is because of the way we speak.  We can change this world around if we put our lives and trust in God.  This includes the way we think, speak, act and react.  Now with this I don’t say we have to just allow all law breakers to do as they please.  What I am saying is that instead of lashing out at them, channel that energy into a prayer and ask God, who has all the power in the world, to speak to that person’s heart.  When time allows for it, one could in a calm manner, say how you feel, without cursing and lashing out at the other person.  Would this take effort?  Off course it will, but can it be done?  Definitely and with positive results.

Let us look at some of the things people say without realising what they are saying and let us be more attentive to not say or do it:

• You are stupid.
• It will never work.
• I can’t do it.
• It is a lost case.
• What a jerk.
• You are such an idiot.
• So ugly, only his mother will love him.
• It never rains before October.
• It will only rain if we had a hot summer.
• I have so many problems.
• I am sick.
• I am cursed.
• No one loves me.
• No matter what, it will never change.
• Because his father was like that, now he is like that.

Looking at the above, we realise how negative we speak and the truth is although we don’t always say it, we sometimes think it.  Let us rather say things like we are being attacked by a virus and not that we have a virus.  To have it, means we own it.  Let us rather say things like I have never done it but will give it a go or I have challenges instead of problems.  This is my viewpoint and since our family and colleagues started speaking like this, our attitude, confidence and faith has grown.  Amen!

Perhaps today’s article stepped on your toes and perhaps it made you think again on how you speak.  You see the same way we often curse others, others are also cursing us.  They curse health, finances, marriages etc.  We have to forgive them and also have to ask their and God’s forgiveness.  We daily have to cancel out in the name of Jesus every negative curse or word spoken by ourselves over others and what others might have spoken over us.  Furthermore, we have to pray God’s love, truth and the blood of Jesus over us daily.

In closing, we pray for our country, family and friends and if we change the way we speak and think, we will change this world.  I say again, the idea of this article is not to make you feel guilty, but to help you to speak life instead of death.  What do you choose, life or death?

Lots of love

Princess K

PS:  Dear reader, please remember that the scripture used are from the New International Version.  If the scripture is read in another language and translation it might differ slightly.  A verse in the NIV might be a different one in your Bible, i.e. Ps 37:3 in the NIV might be Ps 37:4 in your bible.  This does not always occur, but happens in some instances.