Speak Life
Kara Colburn
We all have certain personality traits and a specific kind of temperament. There are many different assessments and questionnaires that help us learn about ourselves and why we are the way we are. Personally, I find them pretty interesting and revealing.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that, in the back of my mind, I always carry the things that were said to me in my childhood about who I was. This can be a good thing, but it can also be difficult.
For me, the recurring struggle has been the words I speak and the tone in which I speak them. I am direct, to the point, speaking the truth at any cost, often too harshly.
(Enneagram 8: Challenger, Warrior, Protector)
Through the years, I have had to constantly lay this at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to take control of my mouth, my words, my tone. I have to constantly willingly relinquish control. I have to constantly repent, submit, walk forward.
NOT try to be good or better.
NOT try harder to be nice and less offensive.
NOT try to be someone else.
Simply REPENT. SUBMIT. And WALK FORWARD.
As He graciously forgives me and works through me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He redeems all that has been lost and broken because of this struggle.
Broken relationships, lost jobs, ruined friendships, rejected ideas, ineffective leadership, unrecognized efforts, the list goes on.
BUT...Nothing is unredeemed.
Joel 2:25
*English Standard Version
"I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter..."
When I walk in submission to the work of the Spirit, the Lord God does what He is famous for. My words (and tone) become LIFE-GIVING. Encouraging, edifying, revealing truth, providing safety, softening hearts, bringing healing, building deep connections, and demonstrating the love of Christ.
Proverbs 25:11
*The Message
"The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry..."
Proverbs 12:18
*New Living Translation
"...the words of the wise bring healing."
In recent years, God has deeply restored what the enemy has spent years and years trying to destroy, steal, and kill.
God is using my heart and my words to make Himself known to others.
PRAISE BE TO GOD!
One thing I have noticed over the years is that, in the back of my mind, I always carry the things that were said to me in my childhood about who I was. This can be a good thing, but it can also be difficult.
For me, the recurring struggle has been the words I speak and the tone in which I speak them. I am direct, to the point, speaking the truth at any cost, often too harshly.
(Enneagram 8: Challenger, Warrior, Protector)
Through the years, I have had to constantly lay this at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to take control of my mouth, my words, my tone. I have to constantly willingly relinquish control. I have to constantly repent, submit, walk forward.
NOT try to be good or better.
NOT try harder to be nice and less offensive.
NOT try to be someone else.
Simply REPENT. SUBMIT. And WALK FORWARD.
As He graciously forgives me and works through me, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He redeems all that has been lost and broken because of this struggle.
Broken relationships, lost jobs, ruined friendships, rejected ideas, ineffective leadership, unrecognized efforts, the list goes on.
BUT...Nothing is unredeemed.
Joel 2:25
*English Standard Version
"I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter..."
When I walk in submission to the work of the Spirit, the Lord God does what He is famous for. My words (and tone) become LIFE-GIVING. Encouraging, edifying, revealing truth, providing safety, softening hearts, bringing healing, building deep connections, and demonstrating the love of Christ.
Proverbs 25:11
*The Message
"The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry..."
Proverbs 12:18
*New Living Translation
"...the words of the wise bring healing."
In recent years, God has deeply restored what the enemy has spent years and years trying to destroy, steal, and kill.
God is using my heart and my words to make Himself known to others.
PRAISE BE TO GOD!
One of the ways I receive love the strongest is through Words of Affirmation. No wonder it has been a struggle for me, and a way that God uses me in the lives of others.
I encourage you...
whatever has been said to you through the years that has wounded you,
or labeled you,
or brought destruction to you...
LAY IT AT THE FEET OF JESUS.
Daily.
And watch Him redeem all that has been
lost,
stolen,
wounded,
broken.
Repent...
not as a victim but as one who is has been made whole by the blood of Jesus.
Submit...
give up control of trying so hard to be good and do the right thing. Recognize His Sovereignty and His Lordship over your life, your heart and your mind. Sit in His presence, listen as He speaks, study His Word. This is how we truly learn to walk with Him.
Walk forward...
do not live stuck in the muck and mire of your struggle. Trust Him...He wants you to be filled with His Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control...this is the fruit of HIM. He will fill your life with beautiful relationships and meaningful work that bring out His character in you.
Recent
Archive
2022
2021
July
August
October
No Comments