Here are two very important rules for us to live by: 1) Don’t speak without thinking. 2) Don’t say things that contradict God’s Word.

The Bible says, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue.’ Our words have the power to hurt or the power to help. ‘People in the land who ask for blessings will ask for them from the faithful God. And people in the land who make a promise will promise in the name of the faithful God, because the troubles of the past will be forgotten.’ (Isaiah 65:16 NCV). There are two important things to learn here:

1) Your own words have more power to influence you than anyone else’s words. In the end, it’s not what others say that matters, it’s what you tell yourself when they’ve stopped talking. You always have the last word!

2) You won’t be able to move into what God’s planned for your future if you’re living in the past. You can’t undo your past, so try not to relive it over and over in your head. God said, ‘Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am about to do’ (Isaiah 43:18-19 NCV). Come into agreement with Him and start saying what He says about you.

What you say from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night doesn’t just influence your day; it influences your whole outlook and the direction of your life. If you’ve been praying and asking God for specific answers, make sure what you say lines up with what He says. And whenever you speak, make sure your words reflect God.

What Now?

Have a self-check today about your opinion of yourself. Do the things you tell yourself line up with the things God says about you?