The Power of our Words - Part 1

A few harsh unexpected words spoken by that one music teacher many years ago left me in shock. I didn’t know what to do, so I let it go. But those words didn’t let me go. They echoed within my mind, causing me internal damage and affecting my relationships with authority figures in both my personal and professional life for decades. Until those words were brought into the light, and I forgave the one who spoke them over me.

We do not know how our words will be received by those who hear them, so as Christian women and those in the workplace, we need to be extra cautious of how we wield the words we use. The motivation behind our words matters as much as the way we choose and deliver them.

The Bible reminds us to be careful of how we use our words for three key reasons:

1. Our words come from the attitude of our hearts, not our minds, and as a result can be a curse:

Out of your heart, your mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation. (Matthew 12:37 MSG)

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. (Matthew 15:18 NIV)

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

2. Our words come from the attitude of our hearts, not our minds, and as a result can be a blessing:

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6 NIV)

Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. (Colossians 3:16 MSG)

3. Our words have eternal implications:

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 NIV)

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. (Matthew 12:36 NIV)

Post a guard at my mouth, GOD, set a watch at the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3 MSG)

I learned the hard way as a teenager that words can be used to crush the spirit or build someone up. I try to think before I speak when I am upset or not feeling well, or delay a reply until I have made the time to respond with care. When in doubt, I wait to speak.

How does our word choice impact our workplaces?

1. We can either speak blessing or cause damage to others (our coworkers, employees, bosses or clients) with our words and thus impact our places of business in a positive or negative way.

2. If our staff or clients become upset - work productivity falls, avoidable meetings become required to clear the air, and the difficult staff may need to be reprimanded or let go. The opposite is also true. If our staff or clients feel appreciated, work productivity increases, we need less correction based meetings, and our staff can be promoted or asked to train others.

3. Word will spread about your place of business courtesy of your clients, vendors, current and former staff. When you speak with kindness, grace, respect and helpful words, they echo in those who hear them. Those who are likeminded will seek your business out based on this word of mouth.

Bringing this to God in Prayer:

God, I want to use my words to not only bless others, but also You. Shine Your light on any area of my heart that needs Your touch to uproot a bad word, and release forgiveness and peace in the space it used to take up within me. Remind me to think before I speak, to make sure my motivation is blessing and my words are spoken with respect, kindness and an attitude to build up, not to tear down. Thank You that the Holy Spirit is able to guide me in this area each and every time I ask for help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Next time, I will share 10 Proverbs which can further guide us to choosing our words wisely. May God be pleased with our words, and may others be blessed and built up by them!

Karla, Christian Women at Work

The Five Step Survival Guide for Working Women: Part 3

In Part 2 of the 5-Step Survival Guide for Working Women, you read 25 verses about God's Word. Were you aware of God sending messages to your heart as you focused on the beauty, power, strength, and love found in His Word? 

After taking this time to meditate on what God has revealed to you about His Word, it is time to look at what God says in His Word regarding the concern you are having. It is about the core root of the problem you are experiencing. The next step is to determine what God wants you to know. He wants to speak to you about this situation.

The next step is to look up every verse in the Bible which contains your word. This is so much easier now with the use of the internet! Writing out the words or typing them on your computer or phone gives you time to reflect on what you are writing, as it can penetrate your heart more deeply than just reading. You will start to see things that only God could reveal to you. You may see the same verse coming up over and over. You may see your word often coupled with another word. There will be a point at which you will clearly feel there is something God wants you to pay attention to. This will pass all understanding. Just like His peace passes all understanding, how He works in this also passes understanding. 

Years ago, I had trouble feeling or expressing love to someone whose decisions had hurt others I cared for. I went to the Bible and looked up the word "love." There are lots of verses with this word! I repeatedly saw similar verses, saying that God loves us and He loves me. God revealed to me that He loved both me and this person. I did not have the right not to love. Although I could not agree with this person's behavior and decisions, I still needed to treat them with love and respect. This made all the difference in dealing with the situation. 

There are websites where you can search for a specific word, and verses containing this word will come up. There could be a few verses which contain your word; there may be many. As you read through them, you will see some may not be relevant because of the context. Copy and paste the relevant ones into a Word or Google document. Then take some time to read them over to see what God has to reveal to you. 

Taking This to God in Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, which reveals so much. This situation I am currently dealing with is not easy. It is an ongoing stress in my life, taking up more of my time and energy than I would like. It seems to be related to (what you feel is the root). You want me to resolve this. Lord: You know me, and You love me. I trust You to guide me through Your Word – please open my heart to what You would have me learn, the steps You would have me follow, and the attitude You would have me express in this situation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Over the next month, consider the following: 

Week 1:  Have confidence in knowing God wants you to have peace, no matter the situation. Take time to reflect on this over the first week.

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

 Week 2: Find all the verses which contain your word. Set aside adequate time to complete this important step.

Week 3: Find a quiet place to review the verses you found. Write, or copy and paste, the verses which contain the word you are searching. Notice patterns or anything that catches your attention. You may see the same words keep on appearing with your word. Ask God for His wisdom and understanding as you review them.

Week 4: What has God revealed to you? Write it in your journal. Take some time to pray over this discovery this week.

May God richly bless you as you turn to Him for direction and wisdom. May His power, strength, and love be revealed to you in a close and personal way. 

Have a wonderful week!

Bonny, Christian Women at Work

Considering our Legacy at Work

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

Over the past two weeks, I have been pondering the topic of legacy. A family I work for and am close to lost their matriarch, and I was struck by the impact of her life as I heard her family share at her funeral.

Leaving a legacy at work is not that different from the one we will leave behind with our families, especially as women of faith. We are meant to make God’s name famous, and raise up others to be ‘aces in places’ in our work spaces. And how we do so definitely impacts the legacy we leave behind us when we switch companies, or move into new positions at work.

“Seeking to perpetuate one’s name on earth is like writing on the sand by the seashore; to be perpetual it must be written on eternal shores.” – DL Moody

In contrast to the building of companies and stockpiling wealth, we as Christians are to be primarily focused upon building His Kingdom on earth, and laying stores in ‘heavenly’ banks.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” Matthew 6:19-20 MSG

What we deem as important will become our primary focus, and the bulk of our energies will be directed there. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:19-20 to fix our focus and energy upon His kingdom, and to live our His ways, that our work and relationships will have eternal impact.

There were three key ways that I was impacted by the legacy of the loved one whose funeral I was honored to attend, which are equally important to those of us in the workplace, whether we are support staff or running the business.

• PRAYER - Just as we are to pray for our family and those around us, as Christian business women we are to pray for each of our staff or coworkers. Inviting God to bless them, assist them in any area in which they have lack, and guide them to know Him.

“...pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” James 5:16 MSG

• PRACTICE - Treating others the way you would want to be treated - supporting them through hard times, laughing with them in the joyful moments, listening when they speak, loving them when they need it most, expressing that they have value because of who they are and not because of what they do - is practicing the way of the Kingdom, and walking like Jesus. This “practice” is an intentional mindset which flows best after we spend time in prayer.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31 NIV

• POSITIONED - We are intentionally placed in the family, time and location in which we live. God planned for us to share the Good News and walk with Him right here, right now, wherever we go. This impacts our workplaces when we model Kingdom living amongst those who do not know Him. Just as Esther was perfectly positioned to advocate for her people, you are purposefully placed in order to invite God into your work spaces and the situations which might arise. And as His daughter, you are uniquely empowered to do so!

“You were born for such a time as this.” - Esther 4:14 paraphrase

The combined impact of being women of prayer who practice the Kingdom of God out of their position as His daughters can have a mighty impact upon those around you. And what work place won’t benefit from such an employee, leader or business owner?

Taking this to God in Prayer:

God, I want to be a women of faith who positively impacts both my personal and professional relationships. Teach me to pray for those around me, and guide me to pray through difficult seasons and situations. Help me to practice the presence of God throughout my day, and to walk out Kingdom values wherever I go and whatever I do. Remind me of who I am to and in You, that my confidence will be because of my dependence upon You, and Your empowerment. May my work place be blessed as I set my sights on working there as Your daughter. Let my legacy be one which brings You much honor. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

As you go about your day at work over the next few weeks, remember that your legacy isn’t in your charm, skill or even beauty, it is in your faith that will endure for eternity!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 NIV)

Karla, Christian Women at Work