MATTERS OF FAITH: The Power of Your Word

The Power of Your Word

 J_Loren Russell

In one of my devotional periods this week, I was significantly moved by one in particular. It came on the morning after a very stimulating session I had with a group of young men whom I mentor. The word that sums it all up is integrity. Integrity is defined by Oxford’s Dictionary as moral uprightness, honesty, wholeness; soundness. It also describes it as entirety, totality. This means that to have integrity, or to live with integrity, someone or something has to be completely upright, honest, and sound. But in our discussion, we were talking about integrity very specifically, not integrity for integrity sake. We were talking about the integrity of your word. Many times our words send mixed messages. We are saying one thing but meaning another. In other words, we talk a good game, but when the rubber hits the road, our tires are bald and we have no traction. We’re, to quote James Brown, “talking loud and saying nothing.”

I preached a sermon last Wednesday night entitled “The Strength and the Power of Your Word,” stressing the point that throughout creation, the only one given the ability to speak was man. The serpent was heard to speak once, but no more (Genesis 3:5). A jackass spoke once, but never again (Numbers 22:28). Jesus said that if the people didn’t praise Him, the rocks would cry out, but they were never heard to speak (Luke 19:40). The only thing in God’s creation that He blessed with the ability to speak was man!

Genesis 2:7+, “The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became of living soul.” It is the Ruach, the Pnueuma, meaning wind or breath. The Lord gave us some of Himself by breathing into us. So much power! So much trust! There’s power in His word. There’s power in your word.

Your word has so much power that it goes beyond our understanding. The author of Proverbs said “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat from the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21). He has trusted us with that power, and there is nothing more powerful in this world than the power in your word. The Lord has given us the ability to speak truth to power, but only if we give and keep our word, recognizing the source of our strength.

It may seem complicated, but at the end of the day, your word and your walk have to be in sync. “What you do speaks so loud, people can’t hear what you say.” Let your word be your bond.  When you live in and through your word, there is nothing too hard for you to accomplish. When you understand the source of that strength, you can truly do all things through Christ who strengthens you! You can be a living testimony to the power and the glory of God the Father, Jesus Christ the son and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. If He can do it for you, He can do it for anybody. So tell everybody about somebody who can empower and save anybody.

Be Blessed +++

Rev. J. Loren Russell, BS, M.Div., is an associate minister at both Goodwill Baptist and Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx.

The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Bronx Chronicle, its staff, or contributors.

 

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