Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
Luke 12:12 (emphasis added)

If a chatbot opens a tab in a browser, does it make a sound? The world runs on words. Even if you don’t believe in the power of words as the Lord has laid it down in His Word (Proverbs 11:9). The occult world knows it and thrives on our ignorance. The government knows it and tries to remain above accountability by twisting them into shiny shapes. The rich and powerful of the world knows it and use them to build the foundations of empires. Words matter, but do you think about it?

The idle word is the worst word. Released into the world without thought for how it is phrased, what it means, or how it can be used. Oh, you say, but I didn’t mean it. Imagine standing in an empty corridor full of doors while you throw sharp knives at a target. Just for fun. No malice or anything. But will that intent of innocence matter when someone unexpectedly comes through a doorway and right into the path of one of those knives? No. They’ll be just as hurt as if you did it on purpose.

“Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6). “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

The Word isn’t joking around. It is serious enough that the Lord flat out tells us that the power of life and death is in our tongues (Proverbs 18:1). Our words can cut each other. They can crush each other. They can cause untold harm. How many children have been scarred by years of verbal abuse? How many wives and husbands have been broken down into shadows of their former selves? How much anxiety has been caused and continues to be caused because of words? Have YOU seen someone flinch because of what you’ve said? Or flown into a fit of anger? Or burst into tears because of some off-hand comment that means nothing to you, but everything to them?

How, with all the trauma that we inflict upon one another over the course of our lives, can we HOPE to know what or what not to say? Or how to say it? Sometimes the issue is delivery and tone, not what is actually said. There are hundreds to thousands of ways that these things can build up into something that we (hopefully) never intended. There are thousands of hours of courses and motivational speaking about how we should speak to one another effectively and consciously. There are who knows how many books that have been written on who knows how many subjects. The world may not like to give credence to the Word, but they cannot deny the reality of the power of the tongue.

For the believer, there is only one path forward. The Word. The Word which strengthens and deepens our faith. Faith that we use to listen with intent to the promptings, guidance, and counsels of the Holy Spirit. The Word promises that the Spirit will help us. That He will provide us with words to say. It happens again and again throughout scripture from prophets and prophetesses to kings to commoners. The Spirit comes upon them and they declare the Word of the Lord. In the Old Testament, it was usually reserved for statements, warnings, and encouragement. But in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. He isn’t on the outside looking in. He’s on the inside whispering into our minds all that we have stored in our hearts of the words of the Lord.

The bible is full of advice. About everything imaginable in some way or another, but especially in our actions, words, and deeds. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. With my whole heart I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, Yahweh. Teach me your statutes. With my lips, I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts, and consider your ways. I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:9-16). When the Word is in us, it can come out of us. We’ll know to be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32). Because Jesus forgave and forgives us. We’ll know to treat others in the way we would wish to be treated (Luke 6:31). We’ll know we should show true, honest, and kind love to each other (John 15:12). And that it isn’t ‘if we feel like it’, but a command. We’ll know that if we claim to love God but hate others, we lie because you cannot truly love God when you harbour unchecked hatred in your heart (1 John 4:20-21).

“Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, not rendering evil for evil or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit blessing. For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil”” (1 Peter 3:8-12). That last is from Psalm 34 (about vs 12-14).

We’re commanded to be like the Lord. To model ourselves after Him (1 John 2:6). Not the least because we were created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Well, the Psalm Peter quoted (Psalm 34) goes on to say “The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit” (vs 17-18). The Lord finds the broken hearted and helps them. He finds those who are crushed and soothes them. Jesus reiterated these values in Matthew 5:13-48. We should be noticed by the world NOT because we are drawing attention to ourselves, but because we have a reputation for mercy and goodness. We should be so contrary to the reigning philosophy of those around us that we are like salt put on food – small, near invisible, but 100% noticed.

We’re to bless those who come against us. Who don’t get our order right. Who brought us the wrong file. Who fix the brakes of our vehicles but forget to change the oil. Who cut us off in traffic. Who take our favourite seat. Who call us names. Who mistreat us. Who persecute us. Those neighbours that we may or may not personally like. Our words are to be worth something. Saying yes when we mean it. And no when we don’t. That what is in our heart is as important as what we say. Our heart attitude is what determines whether something is wrong or right — even if it is something that technically is allowed. Jesus said looking at someone in lust is just as bad as having an actual physical encounter because it was sin in your heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Puts a different spin on pornography, doesn’t it? And we are not to blame others for how we react to them — such as trying to claim it is someone’s fault for what they’re wearing. It is OUR responsibility for what we do with our eyes and our thoughts. Yes, things can come unbidden to our minds, but once we identify the thought (even if it takes a hundred times arriving) we can choose to dwell on it or reject it. Say no a thousand thousand times if you need to. Protect your heart. Measure everything by the Word (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).

But what can we do in the face of that? Keep putting the Word in your heart. Keep it before your eyes (Proverbs 4:20-22). Meditate on it at every opportunity, even if you’re just mulling over a verse or concept and not doing full-on study (Joshua 1:8). Ask the advice of your elders and those who have gone before you (Exodus 20:12). They might just have something to say about these issues because we’re all tempted by the same kinds of things (1 Corinthians 10:13). We’re brothers and sisters, members of the same body of Christ. We are NOT walking alone. Don’t judge each other, support each other (1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Matthew 7:2). Walk in love.

The Holy Spirit can be trusted. His words will be there if you seek them. He is talking to us 24/7/365.25. Constantly. Be still. Listen. Ask. Seek. Listen with your ears and your spirit, not your mouth and your mind. Test it once you hear it, but you need to hear it in order to test it. He’ll let you know what to say. How to be a blessing, not a curse. How to walk in love, not in fear. How to be courteous, not envious. How to be the way Jesus was. This is what we are called to. Not confusion. Clarity. It’s one reason we have the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of TRUTH and that is something the world needs a LOT MORE OF.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: John 7:24

I am SOOOOOOOOO thankful that I am not judged by the Lord by appearances. Because things do not always look all that good. I’ll do something foolish. I’ll say some idle thing that cuts someone. It LOOKS like I am an idiot, selfish, or cruel. The Lord judges me by my heart because He LOVES me, not because I deserve it. But that isn’t even the best thing. The best thing is that He doesn’t leave me like that. A trainwreck of off-the-cuff actions and words that destroy, belittle, hurt, and cover me with a cloud of unfeeling arrogance. No. The Lord uses His Word to show me constantly and consistently the actions I should be taking, the words I should be using, the appreciation I should be showing, and the love I should be sharing. I don’t always listen (not good). I don’t always act on what I hear (worse). But He doesn’t stop. He will never force me to do anything, but He won’t stop encouraging me to be better than I am. To be better than I could ever be. He won’t stop encouraging me to be like Jesus in every way there is, because the spirit of Him who raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in me. He lives in me and gives life to my mortal flesh JUST BY BEING THERE (Romans 8:11). My tongue is my flesh. My mind is my flesh. They are being bathed in abundant life on a daily basis. So are yours. Will you listen? Will you let that life transform you? Will you be guided and corrected? He loves you too much to stop helping you, but helping isn’t doing and we have a choice. Choose to be better than you can be today. Choose to be like Jesus. Listen, decide, and obey.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.