#SpeakLife {Day 8.0}

I remember an illustration our Pastor gave one Sunday during his sermon. He was speaking on the measure we pour out and how when we speak we our pouring out what we have been given. He used a basin and pitcher of water, dumping the water into the empty basin. The pitcher represented us and the basin was what we poured out into someone else. He said something during his sermon that struck a chord with me, as he so often does. He was talking about how our words have power. He explained that when we speak words like calling someone and idiot or stupid or whatever the case may be, we are speaking into their lives and it has an effect on them. The thing that struck me the most was when he said"your are speaking something into their life that they didn't ask for." I sat back and thought ...Wow! I have spoke words, ugly words into many peoples lives that have effected them in a way that they didn't ask for. My ugly words could be the reason for someone's pain. Thats heavy… 

I have always been fairly careful with my words, not the best, but I try. But this idea of speaking unwanted things into someone's life really made me take a look at the way I say things. Especially to my husband and my ever developing children. I know that the way you word things (as well your tone) can have a different result depending on which words you choose. I am not the best at it all the time but this is one of those things that I am passionate about and try to work on. Even the smallest changes make a difference. 

Not long after this, I read a blog post from Jess Connolly in which she talked about speaking life. Jess really inspires me to strive for better but not in a try hard way, in a lean on God's grace way. Her post (which I'm sorry I can't find right now) talked about not only speaking life but staying away from speaking 'death', staying away from gossip, building each other up instead of judging and comparing. And so I put that phrase into my regular vocabulary (and I bought this mug!) because I want to focus on being a life giver not a life drainer. 

"In every encounter we either give life or we drain it, there is no neutral exchange." ~Brennan Manning

In order for me to speak life into someone else I had to start speaking life into my own life.

Proverbs 18:21(NKJV) ~Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it's fruit.~

Start speaking life into your own situations and it will overflow into those around you. You can only give back what you have been given. 

Small changes can make a big difference :) 

Hopefully this post gave you a little bit of an idea of how God speaks to me through others and how it really is a process of transforming and renewing your mind.

Thanks for reading!

Love, 

~jimmie lee