Posted on by sufficientgrace4u · 1 Comment

Three Words

I have been reminded recently of how one incident, one interaction, and sometimes, even one word can damage a relationship, hurt a friendship and even change a life. Sometimes things we say without thinking can seem to permanently alter a relationship. Words said in haste, in anger, or just carelessly, can have significant consequences. I have also been reminded that sometimes a word taken out of context or misunderstood can have a similar effect. Words can be powerful.

Thankfully, most words, most interactions, most incidents can be overcome by three words.

I am sorry.

I forgive you.

(I forgive myself.)

I love you.

Three words we often forget to say (or fail to listen to, preferring to focus on the negative).

John reminds us at the start of his gospel how powerful the true Word is:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

***

And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-5, 14

Everything else in life, every negative interaction, negative feeling, negative word is overcome by three words: Word became flesh. And because of those three words, we know the power and truth of other words:

He Is Risen.

God Is Love.

Jesus Conquered Death.

Three words. Listen to the Word over the roar of negativity that permeates the world and you will hear:

God Loves You.

God Is Merciful.

God With You.

Three words can change everything for the good.

Lord,

Open my eyes, my ears and my heart to your Word. Open my mouth to speak the three words that others need to hear. Heal those who are hurting over misunderstood words or who let words that aren’t from you influence their life.

Posted on by sufficientgrace4u

May Blessings Last Longer Than The Leftover Turkey

Thanksgiving Day is over.  A day when many of us took time to give thanks.  To share blessings among our family and friends.  To speak in loving words.  Today is Black Friday.  Many of us have moved from giving blessings and thanks to pushing and shoving in long lines or fighting to get the last open parking spot.  How long do we stay in thankful mode?  The verbal blessings and thanks that we shower everyone with on Thanksgiving — do they continue past the leftover turkey?

This morning the Bible opened to James:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly, for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.  If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.  It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes.  In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions.

Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.  The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers.  Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh.

James 3: 1-12

Our tongue, our words, are so powerful.

Consider this.  Is Thanksgiving a wonderful holiday because of the Macy’s parade, the football games, the turkey and pumpkin pie?  Or is it wonderful because of the kind words that we share?  The blessings that we give? The grateful heart that we share?  The prayers that we offer up for each other?

So why do we save it for one day a year?  Our words can set the world afire.  Let’s extend Thanksgiving words all year long.  Let’s make this a Thanksgiving year.

Lord,

Forgive me for the times when I fall short, when my words fall short, when my words show evil instead of the love and mercy that you show to me.  Help me to use my words for good.  Help me to be kind, grateful and offer words of prayer and blessing all year long instead of just on Thanksgiving day.