The Power of the Blessing

The unstuck and free life is one that operates in the power of the blessing – blessings yield from words and actions.

Do you remember when you were a small child? Did you have a Sunday School teacher or perhaps a grandparent or parent who was particularly kind with their words? If so, you will likely remember it well. Perhaps you were the one who was generous with kind and gentle words when your own children were small. When children are small, it seems that it is much easier to pour out blessings upon them. "You are so precious. God loves you. Mom loves you. You can do it. I'm so proud of you." These things seem to easily roll off our tongues when we are handling precious little ones. However, somewhere along the way, toddlers turn to teens, and we sometimes transition from kind words of encouragement to those of frustration and anger. "You are such a loser. You'll never amount to anything. I'm sick of your attitude. You are selfish." Sadly, in the throes of parenting teens or even in daily life with others, these words are not uncommon. Why does this transition happen, where we understand that small children need our kind and encouraging words, but we lose awareness that adults likewise need similar kind and encouraging words?

Many of us, perhaps most, have had painful experiences with words spoken over us that heaped shame and hurt, often resulting in years of bondage. Part of my ministry is in taking recipients through hours of inner healing prayers to help them experience the unstuck life. It is amazing the memories that surface from a 60-year-old woman who can recall their mother saying they were fat or a 45-year-old woman whose old high school coach said they wasn'ta very good ball player or any such similar experiences. As has been discussed throughout this week, our words carry weight. There is power in the cursing of individuals through angry words spoken in frustration and disappointment, but there is likewise power in the blessing of individuals through words of faith.

In today's Scripture reference, we see that even the heavens and skies cry out to bring glory to our God. In Luke 19:40 (NLT), Jesus tells us that the rocks will cry out for His glory. "He replied, 'If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!' The cries of our hearts and the words that follow carry substantial weight. We bless the Lord with our mouths, and we can bless others with our words, as well. We can make people and situations beautiful with our mouths. In Romans 4:17, we see that the Lord created something from nothing as He spoke words that brought forth Abraham's promise of fathering many nations (even at a time when he was an old, childless man). We know He likewise spoke something from nothing in Genesis 1 when He created the world. We should use this as a model of how important our words are. We can create beauty, encouraging and empowering others with God's truth. We can speak to mountains and declare that they move. This is the authority of the blessing in Christ.

Many Believers are stuck because of words spoken over them by others, but we must realize that our words have likely also caused others to be stuck. We have the power of the blessing in our words. It is important that we repent of the times we have used our words to harm others, and we must be aware of the great honor of bringing blessings to others with our words.

Interestingly, if you read further into Psalm 19, you will see that in verses 3-4 (NLT), Scripture goes on to say, "They speak without a sound or Word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world." The psalmist is highlighting that the heavens and skies represent the majesty of the Lord through their beauty – through being exactly what He created them to be, not by how loud they shout. The same concept is true for us. As God's creation, we are to certainly bless others with the power of our words, but it is also important that we recognize that simply being a light for Christ in our actions, with no words from our lips, can be a blessing to others. We have the power and authority to make things beautiful with both our words and actions.

Points to Ponder:

• How might you use the painful words of your past as a motivator to make others in your life beautiful with your own words?