The past couple weeks we have been looking at how powerful our tongue is. And I want to start today off with a question. How many have ever been made to feel invincible because of someone's words? I would hope we could all say we have.
Today we are going to look at a story about a guy who had lost his confidence. In fact, he believed that he was less than everyone else and that God could never use him to do anything significant in this world, but here is the great thing about God. He sees things in you that you don’t see in yourself and if you will let God encourage you, you can make a huge difference with your life.
This guy's name is Gideon and when we first meet Gideon, the nation of Israel is being plummeted by the Midianites. They were being beaten down so badly that they had left their homes and were hiding out in caves. They were hiding their food because the Midianites would come in and steal everything they owned.
In Judges 6, Gideon is hiding from the Midianites when all of a sudden an angel visits him. Look at what the Bible says.
Judges 6:12"The angel of the Lord appeared to him (Gideon) and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
Judges 6:14-16 “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
Let’s unpack this, Gideon is busy hiding his family’s food so the enemy doesn’t take it. His tribe is the weakest and he is the youngest and probably weakest in his entire family yet God sent an Angel to talk to Gideon and tell him he is going to rescue Israel.
Now you can see what Gideon thinks of himself, and his family by what he says. He says “I’m the least”. He saying, “I’m not very important God. I think you have the wrong guy.” But how does God start this conversation with Gideon? He starts it with life giving encouraging words. He starts the conversation by helping Gideon see what God sees in him. All Gideon sees is a wimp but God sees a mighty warrior. If you follow the story of Gideon, God continues to encourage Gideon and he becomes the mighty warrior that God believed he could be.
All of this got me thinking, What if we did for others what God did for Gideon? What if instead of being sarcastic all the time or putting others down, we encouraged people.
Ephesians 4:29"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."
Did you get what the verse just said? Let everything you say be good and helpfulWhy can't we see the good in people.
Gideon’s whole life was turned around because he listened to the encouragement of who he could be. The Bible says that,
“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.” 1 Peter 4:11
That is a high standard isn’t it? Before we open our mouths we ask ourselves three questions.
If we would just take the time to stop and think before we speak, if we would pray and ask God to help us be an encouragement like He was to Gideon, we could bring so much life to people. We could possibly help them become who God has created them to be. What are the words that bring life? What are the words that God would have us to speak?
LOVING WORDS1 Corinthians 13 says the greatest thing we can give to someone else is our love. The three most powerful words you can share with another person are the words, I love you.
Actor and comedian Jack Benny loved his wife desperately and he didn’t just tell her that he loved her; every week he had a rose delivered to their house to remind her of his love for her. A few years ago Jack Benny died. The day after his funeral, the doorbell sounded and the delivery man from the florist shop did his regular duty and handed Mrs. Benny a rose. She said, "Sir that won’t be necessary anymore. You see -- Jack died." The florist responded, "You don't know do you? Mr. Benny made arrangements for you to receive a rose each week for the rest of your life.Do you want a great relationship with your parents? Tell them all the time that you love them. Show them you love them by the way you speak to them and treat them.
1 Corinthians 13:7-8"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails."
Does this verse describe your words? Your words to your parents, your siblings, your friends, you remix family, your leaders?
THANKFUL WORDS We need to learn to say “thank you” and be grateful to people. I think of the time when Jesus in Luke chapter 17 healed 10 men who had leprosy. The Bible says that Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest. This is what a person did when they were miraculously healed. The priest would confirm their healing. The interesting thing about the story is when Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priest they had not been healed yet. It was as they were walking to the priest's house that they were healed. The Bible says that all ten lepers were healed but that only one came back and told Jesus “Thank you.” The Bible shows us that Jesus was hurt that only one in ten came back. Look at what he says,
Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Luke 17:17-18
Where were the other nine? You know it is sad but only about 10 percent of people live a thankful life.
Here is your assignment this week. Say “thanks” 10 times a day this next week. Thank your parents for working hard and proving everything you have. Thank your friends for being there for you. Thank your teachers for believing in you. If you do this, your attitude will change and your words will bring joy to a depressing world of entitlement.
ENCOURAGING WORDS Jesus was the master at instilling confidence in people. Jesus had a disciple named Simon. Jesus looked at Simon one day and said, “I think we need a name change. Simon from now on your name will be Peter.” The name Peter means “Rock”. Understand at this time in Peter’s life he is anything but a rock. He is wishy washy, constantly putting his foot in his mouth. But Jesus looked at Simon and saw what he could become. It was Jesus' way of saying I believe in you. I believe in your character. I believe in your future. Simon you are a rock. (MATTHEW 16:18)
We need to see people for who God made them to be and we need to be the ones to encourage them to their full potential. We should be people who compliment others first.
Think about this, everyone wants to be around an encourager. No one wants to be around a discourager. No one ever thinks “Hey, let’s go over to Juniors’ house and get discouraged.”
Speak words of life and not words of death. Your words can breathe unbelievable amounts of life and confidence and joy into others. And this is something all of us can do.
Ken Blanchard tells the story in his book The Simple Truths of Service about a young man named Johnny. Johnny went to a seminar along with 3,000 other frontline employees of a Supermarket chain. A woman named Barbara Glanz talked to those employees about the power of words. She talked about how every interaction they would have with another person is the chance to create a memory, and a chance to bless somebody’s life.
About a month later Barbara got a call from Johnny. A 19-year-old bagger who proudly informed her that he had Downs Syndrome. Johnny said to her, “I liked what you talked about but I didn’t think I could do anything special for our customers, after all, I’m just a bagger.”And then Johnny had an idea. He decided every night when he came home from work he would find a really good thought for the day—for the next day. If he couldn’t find one someplace, he would make one up. Then every night he and his dad would sit down by the computer and his dad would help him enter the saying six times a page on a computer and then Johnny would sit there and print off 50 pages. Then he would take a pair of scissors and cut off 300 copies and then he would sign his name to every one of them.
Then he would put the stack of them next to him while he worked the next day and every time he finished bagging someone’s groceries, he would put his saying on top of the last bag. Then he would stop and he would look the person in the eye and say:I put a great saying in your bag. I hope it helps you have a good day. Thanks for coming in. That was Johnny the Bagger.About a month after Johnny called her, the store manager called Barbara. He said, “Barbara, you won’t believe what’s happened here. I was making my rounds. When I got to the cashier lines, the line at Johnny’s checkout was three times longer than anybody else’s. It went all the way down the frozen foods aisle. I got on the loud speaker to get more checkout lines open, but they couldn’t get any of the customers to move out of Johnny’s line. They all said: That’s okay, we’ll wait. We want to be in Johnny’s line. One woman came up to the store manager and grabbed his hand and saidI used to shop in your store once a week, now I come in every time I go by because I want to see Johnny. I want to get Johnny’s thought for the day.
Do you know who the most important person in that store is? It’s Johnny the Bagger. He isn’t the manager of the store. He is no one’s boss. He is for sure not making the most money. He’s the most important person in that store.
A few months later the manager called Barbara back again. He said: “Barbara, you’re not going to believe this, Johnny is transforming our store. He is changing the culture in our store. When the Floral Department has a broken flower or an unused corsage, they used to just throw it away. Now they go out into the aisles and they find an elderly woman or a little girl and they pin it on them. The guys who make our shopping carts are working on wheels that actually work. The whole culture of the store is being changed.”
If Johnny can change that store with his kind words don’t you think we can too. You can let people know that they matter, that their lives matter.Because I will tell you a little secret about all the people you see. No matter how well put together they look, everybody needs healing. Your words can bring healing to them. People can find out that God loves them; they can be invited to become a part of this community.
The tongue has the power of life or death. Let's use it for life. Ask yourself right now, have you followed this guide? Have you used your words as loving, thankful, and encouraging? Or could your words be defined as pretty much anything but those three? Instead, let's change it this week. Use your words to show the love and forgiveness of God to those who need it around you.
What I want you to do this week as a challenge, is follow Johnny's example. Every night as you go to sleep I want you to think of or find an encouraging phrase to give the next day to those around you. Try this for 7 days and see how it builds those around you up and helps with your relationships!
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