Words have power. We say that a lot, we know it, it's scriptural (see Proverbs 8 and Proverbs 10 to start). But I've noticed that we often talk about words having power in the negative sense. For example, words have power to curse or hurt or even cause a kind of death.

Words also have power to heal, to encourage and to bring life. I was on a quick phone call with a friend of mine last week, and at the end of the conversation, he said, "Karyn Baker, you're very precious to me!" What amazing words. Words have power. Those words, spoken without an agenda or a prompt, spoke life and love into me that day. Words have a lot power.

In the book of James we are told that you can't have a mouth that blesses or worships God and also speaks badly about people around you. Ever slander someone? Gossip? Verbally bash someone in anger? I certainly have. Because all people are created in the image of God, God clearly says that to curse (or speak negatively against) someone else is the same as speaking against Him. Whoa. That makes me want to keep my mouth shut more. Jesus goes even further - He says that to even hate someone in your heart puts you in danger of Hell - John fleshes that out for us by telling us it is the same as physically killing them.

We know we are supposed to be devoted to one another in love. How often do we communicate that love out loud? Is that so hard? Yes, I suppose sometimes it is. But from my personal experience, the more you do it, thinking only of that other person and not what you will look like, the easier it comes, until the language of love through words simply flows fluently out of you.

Can you imagine if we all worked at having words of blessing and love flow out of us as easily as we breathe? We would truly reflect Christ, and I can imagine the bride of Christ as one defined by unity and love.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 3:9-12)

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:21-22)

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3:14-15)




40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Nine: What Makes God Smile?

Main idea: We can makes God smile be certain actions or attitudes.
Most impactful verse: "By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what He was told.... As a result, Noah became intimate with God. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)"
Most impactful concept: Noah's obedience brought him the pleasure of God's intimacy.
Other thoughts: Bringing God pleasure (or smiles) is something that He has uniquely created each of us to do in our own way. I liked the story about Chariots of Fire, because it reminds me that just doing what we were created to do will make God smile. The factors of trust and obedience must play heavily into this, though, because we might be mistaken about the reasons we were created, whereas God, the Creator, knows exactly why He made each of us. I guess listening to Him continually is the key there. Also, Noah trusted and obeyed God, which brough God pleasure, but also brought Noah intimacy with God. It's not one-sided, though our hearts and actions should be pure enough that it could be.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Eight: Planned For God's Pleasure

Main idea: Every one of our lives was created to bring God pleasure.
Most impactful verse: "You created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and were created. (Revelation 4:11 NLT)"
Most impactful concept: (1) If worship were just music, then non-musical people could never worship, (2) Worship is not for our benefit, but rather God's, and (3) God loves all kinds of music, because He created it all.
Other thoughts: I LOVE this chapter - it encompasses everything I have been learning and teaching for years. It's so true! Worship is not about music - I myself have been working for some time now to even change the way that I speak about this concept, not from a religious standpoint, but simply from a desire to remind myself of the facts presented in this chapter. Music that we sing together whenever we gather is, hopefully, worship to God. But not because it's the music part of our gatherings, but instead because of what our hearts are doing at the time we sing! I personally am trying to talk instead about "musical worship" or "worship through music" - and then perhaps "worship through tithing" and "worship through teaching" and "worship through sports" and so on. Not everything we do is worship (yet), because that requires our hearts to be continually doing everything to bring God pleasure and glory. But maybe someday everything we do will be.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Seven: The Reason For Everything

Main idea: Everything was made for God's purposes and pleasure.
Most impactful verse: "For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for His glory. (Romans 11:36 TLB)"
Most impactful concept: We are to RECOGNIZE His glory, HONOUR His glory, DECLARE His glory, PRAISE His glory, REFLECT His glory, and LIVE for His glory.
Other thoughts: All of our dreams in life are even all about God. Our careers are all about God. Our families are all about God. Our jobs and our friends are all about God. And not in the sense that He fits into a part of them, but rather that they should all conform to the concept above - they should recognize, honour, declare, praise, reflect and live for His glory. That's a very different concept than the world tells us about our lives and the way to live - they tell us it's all about ourselves and what we want. It's not. It's all about God - since He made us, He has a right to demand that we fulfill the reason we were made - to bring Him glory.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Six: Life Is A Temporary Assignment

Main idea: Our life on earth is actually very short; we need to make sure we are focused on Godly things because the earth and all it contains is not our true and eternal home.
Most impactful verse: "You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and His way. (James 4:4 MSG)"
Most impactful concept: "You will never feel completely satisfied on earth, because you were made for more. You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared with what God has planned for you. (Page 50)"
Other thoughts: Our emotions often play us false - we often react as if the world is ending when we fight with loves ones, lose a job or a friend, or our plans don't work out the way we dreamed. But if we really grasp this concept of this not being our permanent - or even long-lasting - home, then our focus would be on God and His priorities. I pray that we are all loosed from a desire to follow the culture of our world that is so deeply rooted in us - uproot us, Lord, and plant eternal things into our hearts and minds.


40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Five: Seeing Life From God's View

Main idea: Life is a test, a trust and a temporary assignment.
Most impactful verse: "Do not comform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complex change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God. (Romans 12:2 TEV)"
Most impactful concept: Everything in life is a test, and how we react to it or handle it will both develop and display our characters.
Other thoughts: The standards of this world are so ingrained in us that we often don't even realize that they are there. If we are truly to be transformed by God - have a complex change of our minds - we need to critically question everything in this world - every test, every concept, and every ideal - and measure them against the truths of God's Word. If they don't measure up, we need to ditch them.