For most of us, the beginning of the New Year is a good time to re-evaluate our lives and set goals for ways we can improve ourselves. Whether we make resolutions or not, we all tend to reflect on various issues we’d like to see change in some way. But there is one area of life that we always need to address—the mouth.
I remember when my grandson, who was 3 years old at the time, got hold of a sheet of paper that had pictures of me on it, and he decorated it with all sorts of colorful stickers. When he came over to my house to surprise me with it, I couldn’t help but notice that in just about every picture, there was a sticker over my mouth. I thought: Well, God, are You trying to tell me something?
It actually made me pay attention to the way I was talking. And that’s something we all should do, because there is no part of us that’s harder to control than the mouth.
The Bible says that no man can tame the tongue (see James 3:8). But that doesn’t mean we can never improve the way we speak. We just need to partner with God to bring about the change we want to see.
The words we say are so important because they impact the anointing of the Holy Spirit―that is, the power and presence of God—in our lives. The power of God is the most precious thing we have, and it’s something we need to know how to protect.
One of the ways we can do damage to God’s anointing is by speaking with a mixture of faith and doubt. When we say a few positive, faith-filled words here, and a few negative, doubtful words there, it weakens God’s anointing on our lives.
If we want to have God’s power working in us and through us on a daily basis, then we have to be in agreement with God, not just part of the time, but all of the time.
Protecting God’s Power in Your Life
Without the anointing, everything is hard. And that’s not what God wants for us. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light” (see Matt. 11:30, AMP).
God will never ask us to do anything without giving us the ability to do it, and He has equipped us with everything we need to live a powerful, victorious life. Acts 1:8 (NIV) says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”
Let’s make this practical. Here are a few ways you can use words to protect God’s anointing on your life:
Don’t judge other people. If you want God’s anointing to be on you for parenting, you need to be careful not to criticize other parents.
Don’t complain. The Israelites wasted 40 years murmuring and complaining in the wilderness, when they could have just obeyed God and entered into their Promised Land a lot sooner.
Don’t ask God for someone else’s anointing or to be like them. Embrace the abilities He has given to you.
Pay attention to what you’re saying. Think for a moment how your words could be affecting your life right now.
How do you talk about yourself, your present circumstances and your future? When you talk with your friends, what kinds of things are you talking about?
Ask God to help you form a habit of speaking positive words of faith every day. Words like, “I love my life and I have a great future. I can do whatever I need to do through Christ who strengthens me. And something good is going to happen to me and through me today!”
Even when you’re struggling to believe it, say it anyway. Because your words have the power to change your mind and your attitude when they agree with the truth in God’s Word.
You’ll also find you have the joy and peace that come through simply believing the promises of God.
Don’t let words block your blessings. In Luke 1, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son who would be anointed to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
Zechariah should have been so excited! But rather than believe the good news, he questioned the promise. So God supernaturally shut his mouth until the day his son was born.
Have you ever let your words create a barrier against God’s blessings in your life? I certainly have. Thankfully, we can change that when we decide to change our words.
If you want to live in the fullness of God’s anointing, fill your mouth with His Word. Don’t just carelessly speak what you think or feel or what other people say. You can have the promises of God fulfilled in your life if you will learn to come into agreement with Him, do what He tells you to do, and say what He says. {eoa}
