Words ~ Good or Bad?

Woke up before 7 this morning and like I have been trying to do every morning I got on the scale...total frustration!!!  How can it be that I am up 3 lbs!!!!!  But I trudged on...I don't want to break my streak...I am on day 6: Wed., Thurs, Fri, Sat ~ 30 minutes each day on the stationary bike, Sun, was 20 minutes of water aerobics and this morning 30 minutes on the bike and yet I still have gained...FRUSTRATING to say the least.

Words such as 

Failure! I am hopeless, I will never lose weight! I just want to Give Up!! rambling through my mind

I finished up on the bike and gathered my Bible, my  notebook, my devotional and our new Sunday School lesson book to spend time studying God's word. 

I open up the lesson and the title is "The Pressure of Words" ~ once again God meets me right where I am.  The words running through my head are negative, destructive, hurtful ~ not towards anyone else but to me.  The scripture is James 3:1-8 and the theme is

James 3:2 tells us that we all stumble and fall

James 3:8 says that it is hard to tame our tongue

Once words are spoken we can't take them back.

and then Jeremiah 29:10-14

God knows my thoughts (words) ~ all of them.  

And even though the words I was calling myself this morning 

were not addressed to anyone but myself...

God hears me speaking negatively to myself.  

But God is not saying those things to me...

Satan is fueling those negative words at me...

God wants to speak lovingly to me, encourage me, uplift me.

I am reminded that God doesn't ridicule or condemn me, 

He welcomes me with sweet love (his words) 

just as I should speak to myself.  

I am reminded of a poster I saw recently

Were the words I was saying to myself true? 

 No, I am not a failure...I am on a journey, 

one step at a time and as James 3:2 states "We all stumble and fall."

Were the words helpful? no, they were making me feel worse.

Were they inspiring me to keep going, not really,

 it would be easier to just give up

Are they necessary words?  

No, I need to speak, think, believe positive words:

"I can do it!  I can make good choices!"

Are they kind words?  Nope, not at all.

Not only are the words we speak about and to others important, 

what we say and think about ourselves is just as important.

And then I moved on to

Galatians 6:9-10

God reminds me not to give up!!!

And then something that Pastor John shared in the worship service 

yesterday at Friendly Baptist Church came to mind.  

"God will not nor does He ask us to do anything that He does not provide 

the means & tools for us to accomplish what He calls us to do."

God has provided lots of tools for me to get healthy: 

a stationary bike, recipes from friends, family and the internet of delicious AND 

healthy meals to prepare.  Friends and family to encourage me.  

A husband who is getting up every morning with me to exercise and encourage me.  

And his word this morning: Don't Give Up!!!

Pastor John shared about "our" mission fields. 

 I am sure he was not thinking my exercising and eating healthy 

as a mission field

 but for right now it is my mission field 

- to get healthy, to become physically stronger.

Because then I can serve God's community 

which includes being there for my hubby,

my kids, their spouses, 

and those five wonderful grandchildren.  

And being a blessing to others...

being the mom to those who have lost a mom,

 being a sister to those whose earthly sisters ignore,

 being the best spouse I could be 

and serving others with a smile and a kind word.  

Funny how God brings things full circle to me in my time with him.  

Words - do I use them to Honor God 

or hurt others including myself?

And then I think about something I read that

one of my Christian friends post on Facebook 

that was hurtful and negative about someone 

and I am reminded that I too need to think before

 I post something on Facebook or say to someone 

because once those words are spoken and/or written down,

 they can't be taken back.

Do you remember 

I believe whoever wrote that saying was very wrong.

Instead this is more truthful

and

and

so as you and I go through today

let's think about what words we choose to speak.

And remember God Loves You and Me!!

And through Him all things are Possible!!!