Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ... Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the cast of a popular movie singing This Is Me ... powerfully singing of how we, as Christians, need to stand up for who we are in Christ, … no matter what others say about us.
==============
Highlight Verse[s]: James 3:10 [NKJV] ... 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
… We have the choice as Christians to use our words as weapons to tear others down or to lift them up with God’s love/grace thru what we say to others.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: James 3:7-12 [NKJV] ... USE THIS LINK ...
… God, thru James, exhorts Christians to avoid using words which harm and only use words that edify others.
==============
Reference Passage : … Psalm 139:13-14 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… We were ALL fearfully and wonderfully made by God - for His glory - and we need to make others know - thru our words - of that truth.
Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29 [NKJV] … 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
… God, thru Paul, tells us how the Lord wants us to use our words.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Lisa Samra, uses a current popular movie song to demonstrate the power of the spoken word to bring harm to others. … The ODB author wrote: The powerful song “This Is Me” is an unforgettable show tune featured in The Greatest Showman, the smash movie musical loosely based on the life of P. T. Barnum and his traveling circus. The lyrics, sung by characters in the film who’d suffered verbal taunts and abuse for failing to conform to societal norms, describe words as destructive bullets and knives that leave scars. [see photo]
The song’s popularity points to how many people bear the invisible, but real, wounds caused by weaponized words.
When I was a kid, a popular mantra to try to gain confidence when someone was bullying others with words was, ”Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” … Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Words do hurt; and that is evidenced in our culture today by the number of teens who’re committing suicide because they are bullied by words or images online via social media.
Jesus’ bother, James, wrote about the power of word to hurt other in the highlight scripture passage; and the Apostle Paul, [see Eph. 4:29] exhorted fellow Christians to avoid using any corrupted or weaponized words, … and only speaking word which either lifted others up or provided them with the love/grace of God. I pray that we all do that today and henceforth.
So, … let’s all go forth, with our confidence in Christ, as in the linked song, declaring with our words … “THIS IS US”!! … We are in Christ and declaring to others that we ALL are fearfully and wonderfully created … for God’s glory!! (see Ps. 139:13-14)
=============
My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, ... for giving us the power of words to provide others with Your love/grace.
=============
My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray, Lord, that all reading here will join me to use our words to lift others up and give them Your grace. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.</ span>
No comments:
Post a Comment