Powerful Positive Speech Habits - Part Ii Series

1. LAUGHING and SINGING so that others will recognize God’s goodness flowing through me.

"Then we laughed with our mouths, and we sang with our tongues. Then it was said among the nations, ’The Lord has done great things for them.’" Psalms 126:2 (NLV)

When Christ’s followers are sincerely animated with joyful expressions of the positive nature of their faith - things like laughter and singing - it is a positive reflection on Christ.

When Christ’s followers come across as dour and crabby to the unchurched it is a direct negative reflection on Christ.

This does not mean that Christians are supposed to try and manufacture joy. Rather, it means they are to maintain a consistent walk with God so that they sincere joy that results will produce outward manifestations visible to culture around them.

Laughter and singing are powerful positive advertisements for faith. Who would want to participate in a faith that is negative and gloomy?

Yes there are times for seriousness. We can’t laugh and sing all the time. But neither do we need to be serious all the time.

We should make good use of God’s powerful tools of laughter and singing.

2. HEALING others by the things I say.

"There is one whose foolish words cut like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18 (NLV)

Whatever is causing us to say hurtful things needs to be addressed. If we are hurting we need to find God’s healing so that we don’t try to spread our pain and misery.

Then, after we have dealt with the things making us bitter and angry (things which cause caustic conversation), we need to develop the habit of saying things that are intended to heal hurting hearers.

Consider the times when someone has blessed you with their words. The gift of speech is a powerful tool to uplift and encourage.

If more Christ followers developed the habit of using wise healing words, others would not need to turn to other sources for healing.

3. PRAYING for God to help me communicate properly.

"O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalms 141:3 (NLV)

If you have ever sincerely prayed a prayer like this one of King David you will know how God answers it.

When you begin to say something you shouldn’t the Holy Spirit arrests your attention and gives you an alternate path for your words.

Developing a habit of regularly praying for God to direct your words will change the course of your conversation to a much more desirable and pleasant result.

Others will want to talk with you more - because godly conversation is contagious!

4. TALKING about things I know about.

"If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels." Proverbs 20:15 (GNT)

We have all been guilty of trying to impress others with our knowledge to the point of heading into territory that was foreign to us.

Either we don’t want to be left out of the conversation or we don’t want to appear ignorant.

Of course, as Mark Twain so aptly put it, "We are all ignorant, only on different subjects."

It is okay to remain silent when the conversation steers into uncharted waters for us. Even asking questions to learn more is more appropriate than acting like we know what we’re talking about when we don’t.

If we want to know more then we should listen and study to learn. But if a conversation is dealing with information with which we are unfamiliar it is okay to let others have the spotlight.

5. REPRESENTING the Lord Jesus in all I say.

"And whatever you do or SAY, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

This habit is perhaps the broadest of all speech habits. Conscientiously sifting all I say by considering how it will reflect on my Lord.

Positive speech will represent Him appropriately but my negative speech habits must go if I am to give Him glory in my conversation.

I can no longer afford to make excuses for my bad verbal behavior.

I must instill powerful positive speech habits into my life if I am to be a proper representive of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wherever I go.