WHAT YOU HEAR SHOULD DRAW YOU CLOSER TO JESUS

“But now you yourselves are to put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do no lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”—Colossians 3:8-10

 

Have you ever noticed that for most people it is easier to gain weight than to lose it?  It is also easier to destroy things than to build them, and to ruin a relationship than to work to maintain one.  It seems that the things we desire are harder to come by than the things we wish to avoid.  It is the same way with what we hear.

 

Values and attitudes that take a long time to build can be easily destroyed by just a few words.  Certainly, everyone has had their enthusiasm quenched by the disapproving words of someone else.  Our words are important but so are the words of every person that we hear.  To succeed in the kingdom of God, we not only have to watch what we say, but also we must guard what we hear.

 

In our day and age, Christians are exposed to the negative words of this world as never before.  Most of us allow these words right into our homes, automobiles, offices, and wherever we are traveling.  In seconds, we are aware of all the terrible things going on around the world.  Some people even listen for entertainment to songs that wail about the miseries and sorrows of mankind.  A few years ago, the Holy Spirit spoke these words to me, “A wave of occult music is coming into America to take the children.  It is a Luciferian Music Club which is a Satanic Juilliard.”  Across our nation young children are listening to this music, and it is being merchandised as innocent, cute and charming. 

 

Negative words have power—evil power.  “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you” (Proverbs 4:24).  They have the ability to depress, and to cause fear.  We do not need that!  We are to be a people of faith and hope!  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29-32).

 

Think about the words you hear today.  Do you really need or want what you are seeing and hearing?  Choose life instead of death (Deuteronomy 30:19).  If a word spoken to you does not increase your faith and draw you to Jesus, rebuke it and reject it.  Then turn your thought to His Word and be glad. 

 

Prayer—Father today I purpose to guard what I hear and I choose life. Please forgive me for the times that I was lax and lazy in choosing to hear words of death.  I ask that by the power of Your Word and Your Blood that every negative word that was sown into my spirit to cause death and defeat in my life be uprooted in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.