A Christian’s Power of Life & Death (Part 2)

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I believe the most effective example of conquering the tongue for good was King David. It is why his Psalms today are the most instrumental verses in the lives of Christians going through different trials in their lives. If read out loud repeatedly, they have the power to rekindle lost faith, strengthen the weary and give hope to the sick. His verses don’t focus on the problems, but how big and immeasurable was his solution to everything and that was God. The way King David repeated his faith in God, so many different ways, it reminded me of a Mantra concept or like repeating Mottos. Okay before you close off this blog and scream heresy in the streets, hear me out. Lets start with the true meaning of the words Mantra and Motto;

MANTRA:

  • A sound, word or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating
  • A word or pharase that is repeated often or that espresses someone’s basic beliefs
  • A slang word for motto.

MOTTO:

  • A short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group.
  • Ex. “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst” or the boy scout’s motto of “Be Prepared“.

The word Mantra has been hijacked by cultists and hippies to push a false ideology on susceptable people, willing to surrender themselves and control, to anyone as a form freedom. The truth is Mantra’s have been used for centuries in the education of students and adults. Its the basic process of entering information into the memory of a human brain. Repetition and meditation is the key to remembering needed knowledge in school or society. If you observe how babies learn and children are taught, teachers utilize repetition skills in the class rooms and meditation skills for home work.

Motto’s on the other hand have been used for centuries as invisible borders or fences in the hearts of men, that effectively changes behavior. An example of this is, say my last name was Jamison, and our family motto was, “Jamison’s never give up”. My child would be influenced by that motto if it was taught to them, using repetition, to never give up in anything. This would then cause them to try harder in everything they do in order to succeed and not break the family motto. Another example is the motto that is imposed on all scouts from cub scouts to eventually eagle scouts. “Be prepared” motto requires scouts to learn a number of skills that makes them very dependable, in diverse situations. To this day Eagle Scouts are among the most coveted students for colleges. They are diligent and work hard because of their allegiance to the motto, that scouts are to be prepared. All their scout activities are tailored to condition them to live up to the motto.  Mottos are an invisible boundry, that imposes an obligation on you, to abide by its requirements in order to be apart of the group. It dictates how you can act or the things you can and cannot do. Failure to uphold the motto of an organization, can either bring with it a shame of falling short and letting your peers down, or it can act as an anchor to return to when you feel lost. The expectations of an organization’s motto, tend to keep people from straying away from their goals.

Why bring this up? I think these two things (Mantras and Mottos) are keys for Christians to unlock the following in their walk with Christ

  1. The ability to guard your heart and mind against evil thoughts.
  2. Keeping us from doubt and in faith.
  3. Solidifying our purpose daily.
  4. Keeping us on track in our search for a closer walk with Christ.
PRACTICAL LIFE APPLICATION:

King David is the perfect example for us to follow when looking into the practicality of this topic of Mantras and mottos. The entire book of Psalms is a combination of Mantra’s and Mottos that King David himself used, to work out his walk with God. Even today, there are many Christians who have picked verses from different chapters in this book and repeat them daily or in times of need to re-ignite their faith. If you read the book of Psalms it is David constantly reminding himself of God’s goodness, his posture as a servant of God and his purpose to be obedient and fulfill the will of God on the earth. If you read Psalms Chp:1 v1-2

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

It pretty much sumizes all the chapters and verses in the book of Psalms, setting almost a standard on what to expect in the chapters ahead. David spoke of abstaining from ungodliness and sin, praising God and delighting in the meditation of the word. If you read the book of Psalms to completion, you will notice this common sentiment expressed in the verses all through the book.

NB: The chapter and verse shown above can be used by a Christian as a motto. It will set the invisible boundaries that help influence them to abstain from sin and manage their conduct. Why? The bible says we are blessed and highly favored by God, this motto lays out the requirement for being blessed. Therefore it would encourage any believer to praise and worship God, meditating on his word day and night. Repeating this motto daily like a Mantra will help direct your paths to become more God centered.

The chapter and verse I would like to look at is a favorite of mine;

Psalm 131: 1-3

1 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

I like this scripture because it says a lot about King David’s character. He was humble and always ready to surrender everything to God’s will. In his time of need he never hesitated to seek God from a position of humility. Let’s look deeper;

Verse 1: Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

In this verse King David comprehensively declared to his heart, ego, pride and ambition, that their posture before the Lord was to be humble.  In the presense of God humility is the only posture. This type of humility creates exposure and vulnerability only God can fulfill or satisfy. What we choose to meditate on needs to remind us to be humble, acknowledging the infinite grandure of the God we serve.

 Verse2: Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

The word weaned means (to become accustomed to managing without something on which they have become dependant or of which they have become excessively fond). Our natural instinct when things go wrong is to panic and like a child seek our parents protection. Even though our parents are right there reassuring us we are protected, children sometimes persist in panic and fear. David is saying I quieted the child in my soul. He has been weaned from the panic and fear response in this soul. As a mature child of God he is now resting in peace knowing the God he serves is capable of providing , protecting etc. God has delivered David time and time again, just as he has done for us. We need to quiet our souls in times of trouble and speak the promises of God that directly relates to our situation. Young Christians desire God to sit right by them, carrying them through every experience. This is like a nursing child that is catered to 24/7 and is fed milk several times a day(1 Peter 2:2). God does this to build the faith of young christians, but then there comes a time God weans us off milk and begins to feed us real experiences. We find our selves in situations that require faith and trust in God, but we must not revert to the childish response of panic and fear. We should believe on the words of God that were fed to us as a child, from the milk. Apply your faith that God helped us develop in him and speak the word of God given to us from the milk. This is exactly what David is reminding his soul to do in this verse. This type of response invites God’s power of miracles. This level of faith pleases God and he enters into our situation and circustances.

An example of this is Daniel in the lions den. He quieted his soul and applied his faith in God, that even being thrown into a lions den, did not phase him. He believed in God’s promise of protection and deliverance so much that even the King, who’s majestey he was accused of offending, believed in Daniel’s God’s deliverance as stated in verse 16. His faith drew God in, to perform an un-imaginable outcome.

Another example is Shadrack, Michac and Abendigo, who were faced with being burnt alive. They too were able to quiet their souls. In fact their response was bordering on a challenge to the King. Who was greater, King Nebuchanezza or the God of the Jews. They declared verbally in faith, that their God was able to deliver them out of the fiery furnace they would be thrown, for refusing to bow to another false God. In the face of such danger their souls were quieted to believe on the words of God for protection.

The soul being referenced here is the aspect of man that is characterized by his intellect and emotions. Therefore David found a way in dire circumstances, to quiet the arguements of his intellect and the volatility of his emotions in the moment and allow the word of God to minister to him. This is evident in the psalms he wrote when he lived through the worst situations in his life. His words spoke of faith, hope and trust.

NB: Notice the repetition in this verse of David speaking to his soul that he is calm. This is a display of using our words in a positive way for our benefit.
Verse 3: O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

In this verse King David implored Israel and himself to hope, wait in expectation and desire for the Lord to show up. He’s resigned himself to trust in God and his wisdom as their salvation. The same as did our Lord in the garden of Gethsemany, where he prayed for another solution but desired the will of God to be done. His hope was not just hope for the current circumstance, but hope forever more.

Hope in God for;

  • The future,
  • God’s salvation after we have gone from this world into eternity.
  • Hope in the redemption from sin through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
  • Hope in the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ.
  • Hope in the transformative power of the word of God in our lives, creating a new creature in Christ Jesus. In this world but not of it.
  • Hope in the Kingdom promises of God for citizens here on earth and forever more.

When we speak words, let them be of hope rooted in God and his Kingdom provisions, not focused on the circumstances or problems we face. When you consider the three verses we analized from Psalms, they were filled with a deep sense of conviction to trust and hope in the one true God. In that example, you begin to see how a Mantra works. The right verses spoken with understanding at the right time, can create strength, healing, courage, faith and peace in our souls. Why?  David said in Psalm 119 that he hid the word of God in his heart so he would not sin against God. In other verses he talked about not forgetting God’s word and treasuring his judgements. David delighted in God’s word because he understood the power of the spoken word. He knew that the words spoken by God (if received and believed), would bring life, deliverance, miracles and everything good into reality. David understood that the words of God were food for his soul, strengthening him to walk in obedience and opposition to the whims of his flesh. Therefore his words should be the same, as we were made in God’s image and likeness. He alludes to this in the following verse;

Psalm 19:14

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Apostle Paul also alluded to the same thing in the following verse;

Ephesians 4:29-30

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

We have a responsibility as children of God to use the power of the spoken word to speak life into others and ourselves. To do otherwise is detrimental to us and our salvation. In my research I found numerous warnings directed at believers to manage our words and control how we speak, too many to list here. This much focus and instruction in the bible, on the words we use to communicate, means there is something we are missing or taking for granted in our spoken words. Can it be the effective power our words possess over life and death? We are accountable unto judgement for what we say, don’t believe me see the following verse;

Matthew 12:34-37

34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

God created the heaven and the earth in seven days, using the power of the spoken word. What are we building or tearing down literally or spiritually, when we wield the same power of the spoken word? This is why we need a deep understanding of God’s word, in order to utilize the power of life in the tongue to change our perspective, our minds and redirect our thoughts. Apostle Paul said it best in this verse;

2 Corinthians 10: 3-6

3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

In this verse the weapons of warfare that are mighty through God, is the word of God weaponized to pull down strong holds. Where are these strongholds, in our minds and in the minds of others. How can we weaponize the word of God?

  1. Reading the word is mandatory.
  2. Remembering the word is necessary.
  3. Understanding what you have read in the word, by receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit is crucial.
  4. Formulating the word into a spiritual weapon against evil, begins with creating mantra’s and motto’s out of the word of God.

The purpose of studying the word of God is not only to gain personal knowlege of our Lord and God. It is to gain understanding for the purpose of pulling down strongholds in your life, the lives around you and in your communities. The truth you internalize through revelation (hidden manna) from the Holy Spirit, is to be spoken out to the masses (Matthew 10:27) Our Lord Jesus Christ utilized this very concept when he was tempted by satan in the desert. He spoke specific targeted scriptures from the word of God, to counteract and tear down the false knowledge and presumptions used by satan to entrap him. This is our guideline to succeeding in life and working out our salvation. Regardless of what circumstances surround us, we need to use the word of God, hidden in our hearts and speak Mantra like verses to ourselves or others to build faith, courage or peace. Here are some examples below;

If you or someone is struggling with fear, here are some verses you can speak out to yourself or a brother in Christ to stir up their faith;

  • Isaiah 41:13– For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
  • Proverbs 1:33– But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
  • Proverbs 3:25-26– Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
  • 1 Peter 3:12-14– For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.
  • Romans 8:31– What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

NB: These words are not to be whispered in your heart, but spoken out of your mouth as a declaration of the word of God which is true and does not return void. It accomplishes the task it is set out to do. Your faith must be in the words you speak, as faith is the currency that the Kingdom of Heaven operates under.

If you or someone is struggling with guilt, here are some verses you can speak out to yourself or brother in Christ to stir up their faith;

  • 1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
  • Romans 8:1- There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
  • 2 Conrinthians 5:17- Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
  • Hebrews 8:12- For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

I hope you are beginning to get the concept I am trying to explain. Using scriptures such as these that apply to your circumstance, as a mantra or motto, repeating them, feeding them to your soul and your mind daily, will cause a change. It will build your faith into an overcomer, which the bible declares we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus. The thoughts that cause worry and depression will have no other option but to fade away, as they are replaced by hope and faith in the salvation and deliverance of your God. The word of God does not come back void.

Let us now use the power of our spoken word to build up and not tear down. To pull down strongholds that hinder our growth and relationship in Christ. When we were a child we spoke like a child, ate like one and acted accordingly. Now that we are mature and full of understanding, our words should be used to build people up in faith, love and hope. Our biblical understanding from the many scriptures, providing warnings and instruction on the tongue, should constrain us daily to guard the power behind what we say. In reality we do hold the power of life and death on our tongues. We can kill the dreams and aspirations of someone or ourselves, by constantly speaking about the obstacles, the difficulty and our failures. It happens everyday, dreams die because of what people believe others are telling them, rather than what God has promised. The alternative is to breath life and give hope through encouragement and support to someone’s dreams. Don’t talk more about how you failed, but more on how close you came to succeeding. Speak to people on what God says about them as his creation and his children.  Recite the scriptures of his promises, mercy, love, victory, protection etc. and it will be food for the soul, giving them life in their dark moments. That is how we are to be the light of Christ in this dark and dreary world.

This blog was to call into question everything we say. Guard our conversations and make sure they are building up and not tearing down.

God Bless

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