“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” ~ Matthew 16:24-26
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” ~ 1 Peter 4:12-13
No one enjoys suffering. No one. Most people across the globe recognize, however, that suffering is normal in this fallen world. Western culture, on the other hand, has so glorified the values of safety, comfort, and convenience that anything less is now regarded as something akin to human rights violation.
The idea that people have a right to a secure, healthy life is an attitude that has, unfortunately, bled over into the church. The extreme example of this is Prosperity Teaching, which communicates that God wants Christians to be wealthy, healthy, and happy all the time. Even among more biblically orthodox Christians, however, there is an unspoken idea that God somehow promises to protect them from suffering. The result is an absence of teaching on the presence and role of suffering in the Christian life, and the crises of faith that accompany that suffering.
Suffering Is Normal in a Fallen World
The Bible regards suffering as normal. Part of this suffering comes from the fact that we live in a fallen world, and this kind of suffering falls on Christians and non-Christians alike.
The Bible regards suffering as normal. Part of this suffering comes from the fact that we live in a fallen world, and this kind of suffering falls on Christians and non-Christians alike.
Because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve against God, the physical world itself was subject to corruption and decay (Rom. 8:18–22). As a result, things like disease and natural disasters happen to everyone. Certainly, modern science and technology have developed to the point that we can shield ourselves from some of the consequences of this corruption and decay. However, we cannot eliminate them entirely. Hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes occur all over the world without discriminating between Christians and non-Christians, and we are completely powerless to stop them.
How to Endure Suffering: When God Takes Away
We can now cure or prevent many diseases, but that doesn’t stop both Christians and non-Christians from developing cancer or having heart attacks. The sinfulness of men and women adds human violence and oppression to this dark picture, so that crime, war, and oppression are also part of life everywhere on earth. Eventually, all of us die—sometimes slowly and painfully—as a result of the rebellion of our first parents.
It is true that God, in his incredible mercy, undoubtedly does protect us from many of these consequences of the Fall in our world. However, he does not ever promise in his Word that he will protect us from physical injury or illness, and he allows all of us to die. This kind of suffering is a normal part of normal life in a fallen world.
Suffering Is Promised for Christians
For followers of Jesus, however, the picture is even more sobering. The Bible actually promises us persecution and suffering for our faith. The world is in rebellion against God. It hates God, and when he came as a man in the person of Jesus Christ, the world responded by murdering him. Jesus promised us that the world would treat us the way it treated him(John 15:20, ESV).
The first followers of Jesus consistently experienced suffering for the sake of Jesus, in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), Galatia (Gal. 3:4), Philippi (Phil. 1:29), Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:14), and Asia Minor (1 Peter 4:12), along with the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 10:32). Paul went through horrible suffering (2 Cor. 11:23–29), as did the other apostles (Acts 5–8). Paul was quite explicit in saying this was to be expected by everyone who follows Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12, ESV). In the Bible, suffering and opposition are a normal part of the normal Christian life.
The comfortable experience of Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly in this regard. Because of the Christian heritage of Western civilization, combined with democratic freedoms and historic rule of law, Western Christians have largely been left alone for their faith. Even today, as Western nations become increasingly post-Christian (and even anti-Christian), the opposition experienced by most Christians goes little beyond mockery. However, there are signs that this protected status may be changing. If it continues to do so, it will simply put Western Christians in the same boat as their brothers and sisters all over the world.
Today, in Islamic, Hindu, and Communist parts of the world, being a follower of Jesus means, at best, losing your job and being rejected by your family. At worst, it can mean imprisonment, beating, and even death. These things are being experienced all over the world right now by our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
People who have been given a realistic sense of what it means to follow Jesus, and who have counted the cost, will make much steadier disciples.
How to Prepare for the Reality of Suffering as a Christian
Here are three points that can prepare you for such a fate:
First, Christian workers need to examine their own hearts, searching for any sense of entitlement. As Paul advised Timothy, they need to be prepared to “share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Tim. 1:8, ESV). They will do this, not by cultivating stoicism or asceticism, but by concentrating long and hard on “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:8, ESV), who is better, more valuable, and more delightful than anything we lose by following him.
We need to share the gospel the way Jesus did, by making the cost of discipleship clear (Luke 9:57–62). People who have been given a realistic sense of what it means to follow Jesus, and who have counted the cost, will make much steadier disciples. And lest we fear that such a sobering presentation of the gospel will keep people from being saved, we need to realize two things. First, we are offering Jesus, not a cozy life, and Jesus really is better than all of the good things of this world combined. Second, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that draws people to Jesus, not our attractive packaging of the message.
We need to include the subject of suffering well in our immediate follow-up with new believers.
Followers of Jesus should not be surprised or caught off guard by suffering (1 Peter 4:12).
They need to endure suffering without compromising their integrity (2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Peter 2:19).
They must love their persecutors and pray for their welfare (Matt. 5:43–47).
They are to renounce any intention to take revenge (Rom. 12:14–21).
They are to trust God in the middle of their suffering and respond by proactively doing good (1 Peter 4:19).
They are to use their experiences of suffering as a basis for comforting others who suffer (2 Cor. 1:3–7).
They are to fix their eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1–3).
And they are commanded to rejoice. “Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13).
As followers of Jesus, we do not rejoice in suffering because we enjoy pain, but because Jesus is so worthy in our eyes and hearts that we delight in being identified with him. All suffering is temporary. It isn’t worth comparing with the glory that awaits us (2 Cor. 4:16). In that place of glory, all pain and suffering will be gone forever (Rev. 21:4).
*** By Zane Pratt serves as the VP of Training for the International Mission Board – img.org
God’s Word makes it clear that we are engaged in warfare against Satan. We need the armor of God to be able to “stand firm” against the “schemes of the devil” (Eph 6:10-18). Many Biblical writers describe the evil character of the one who seeks to destroy what God loves. Peter describes the devil as our adversary who “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8 NIV). In Revelation, John refers to him as “the old serpent,” who “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). John’s gospel is where we learn that the devil “was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him … he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Paul calls him the “god of this world who has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor 4:4). He is the “prince of the power of the air” who is “at work” around us. This evil one seeks to turn people from what God has designed for their ultimate blessing and good.
Satan knows that God created marriage as a beautiful, living picture of Christ and the Church. God designed both marriage and the family for our benefit. Satan knows the value of the family, how it is the fabric of a good solid society, the foundation of vibrant growing assemblies, and the future of God’s work on earth. If Satan can be successful in tearing down the structure and substance of the family unit, then he will be successful in damaging what is dear to God’s heart.
Satan’s Attack on the Institution of Marriage, the Foundation of the Family
When God finished creating the first couple, He called what He had made “very good.” This man and woman were united in a holy bond before God. For the benefit of future generations, God explained, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” God requires from the married couple a level of separation from others and a commitment to each other which will provide a stable foundation for the family unit.
Satan’s initial attack on the family occurred in Eden where the old serpent worked his evil deception on Eve and destroyed the harmony of the first marriage. In listening to Satan and disobeying God, Eve and Adam plunged themselves, and all subsequent families, into slavery in the “kingdom of darkness.” Satan’s attack on the family has continued until today. There are signs of it all around us. With the increasing rate of divorce, the acceptance of common-law relationships, the barrage of Hollywood immorality, and the legalization of same gender marriages, we can see how successful Satan has been in twisting and perverting God’s best for us and depriving us of the blessings that marriage brings to the family.
Satan’s Attack on the Internal Mechanics of the Family Unit
Good marriages are the foundation of solid families. If Satan can successfully destroy the marriage, this will have a devastating impact upon the rest of the family. According to a recent survey,1 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. However, even when a father is present, if the parents are not married, it is still detrimental to the children. In an annual report,2 David Popenoe, a Rutgers sociology professor and report co-author speaks of the increase of cohabitation, “I don’t think it’s good news, especially for children … As society shifts from marriage to cohabitation — which is what’s happening — you have an increase in family instability. The United States has the weakest families in the Western world because we have the highest divorce rate and the highest rate of solo parenting.” God, in His wisdom, knew that children needed the stability of married parents.
The more closely we understand God’s design for the family, the better we will be able to recognize when Satan tries to change and undermine it. Through Paul and Peter, God gives us clear instructions regarding the spheres of responsibility and authority within the family (Eph 5:22-6:4; Col 3:18-21; 1 Tim 5:14; Tit 2:4-5; 1 Pet 3:1-7). Two truths, which appear repeatedly in these passages, are the headship of the husband and the submission of the wife. Scripture likens their relationship to that of Christ and the Church. John Piper, in his book, This Momentary Marriage, says, “Headship is the divine calling of a husband to take primary responsibility for Christ-like servant leadership, protection, and provision in the home. Submission is the divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm her husband’s leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts.” In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison, he writes about the husband, “As the head, it is he who is responsible for his wife, for their marriage, and for their home. On him falls the care and protection of the family; he represents it to the outside world; he is its mainstay and comfort.” The responsibility of the husband is to provide leadership that is motivated and directed by the agape love of Christ. The husband is to love his wife “as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her,” and to “nourish and cherish” her as one would his own body. When the husband provides a leadership marked by this sacrificial love, the wife will respect her husband and the marriage will flourish. The husband, who is fulfilling his role as head, will seek to meet the needs of the family. The wife, secure in the love and devotion of her husband, will support and help him in every possible way.
Satan has done a masterful job at distorting these two divine mandates (headship and submission). So often we see men who authoritatively control families in a selfish, self-serving way. The other extreme, in which men cede the responsibility for guiding the family to the wife, is also widespread. Correspondingly, while some women are dominated by their husbands, others seek to be the controlling force in the home and do not respect them. These scenarios reveal how successful Satan has been in persuading people to abandon God’s ideal. Any time someone believes that living out the principles of godly headship and submission would somehow make their family life less than it should be, Satan has been successful at his pernicious work of deception. May God give husbands today the courage to provide the loving leadership God intended them to exercise, and wives the grace to respect and support their husbands.
The Scriptures provide clear guidelines for the children’s sphere in family life. God instructs them to accept the authority of their parents, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother” (Eph 6:1-2). Satan has tried to undermine the parental authority of the home by introducing messages of insubordination and by seeking to render the parents unable to assert their authority over the children. Once you are aware of this truth you can begin to see the many specific ways that Satan is doing this today in the media, literature, music, etc. Many television shows and children’s books portray the father figure as weak or foolish. One of the numerous songs which encourage children to resist parental authority, Billy Joel’s “My Life,” defiantly addresses parents: “I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home. I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life. Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone.” Thus Satan whispers to children that submission and obedience are not best for them. The music the children listen to, their entertainment, and the atmosphere of the home are important leadership responsibilities. If fathers are to bring up children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord,” they must fulfill their leadership responsibilities in the family and this is to be done lovingly, without provoking their children to anger (Eph 6:4).
Satan’s Attack on the Intention of God for the Christian Home
The home is where the Word of God is taught and preserved, and where sound doctrine is explained and lived out. This is the Scriptural pattern. A godly life of faith which characterized Timothy was first displayed in the home of his grandmother, then his mother, and then his own. From childhood he was “acquainted with the sacred writings” which were able to make him “wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). Parents must give the Scriptures priority in the home because God’s Word is the necessary foundation. Satan has done a masterful job at keeping families so busy that they have little time to read the Bible, let alone study it and put it into practice in their lives. Spending time in God’s Word and waiting upon God is essential. If Satan can keep families too busy for the Scriptures, they will lose their joy, strength, and effectiveness in this world. Satan, using busyness as his tool, has robbed many families of the time God wants them to spend with each other. This results in a lack of both closeness and enjoyment in each other. Husbands and wives need time together to nurture their relationship. They need time with their children if they are going to fulfill the Scriptural mandate of training up a child in the way he should go (Prov 22:6). This training takes time and focus, both of which are lost when lives become frantically busy and stressed. The family needs time when the earplugs are out, Internet is closed down, and telephone ringers are off, and when the needs of family members are lovingly met. Time must be taken for reading and praying together and for eating and playing together. As families live out God’s plan for them, God will be glorified, families blessed, and assemblies enriched.
When parents spend time with God and allow their behavior to be guided by God’s Word, this will produce Christlikeness in them that will draw their children’s hearts to God. Any way in which Satan can keep parents’ lives from exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—will detract from the character of the family and the members will suffer loss. When he can plant the seed of unforgiveness, family peace and joy are destroyed. If he can convince members to act in a hypocritical manner, integrity is lost. If he can persuade children or parents to stretch the truth or shade it, even the smallest bit, trust is destroyed and damage ensues. The family’s ultimate protection against Satan’s attacks is to know and live out God’s truth. As His truth and love are expressed through the functioning of the family, even neighbors and friends may be drawn to God.
In conclusion, God, Who created the family, has provided the divine design and instruction in His Word so that families can flourish. Our best defense is to know the pattern, so that we will be able to discern Satan’s subtle attacks, and to let the fruit of the Spirit characterize our lives. We need godly leadership, respect, and love, along with fervent prayer and dependence on God. He alone can preserve our families for His own honor. May God help families to follow His truth and cling closely to Him.
1Men Against Domestic Violence. 2 An annual report, which analyzes census and other data, issued by the National Marriage Project at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.
There’s a reason why so many of us begin praying for our children while they’re still in the womb: We understand that we’re in a war.
God’s Word describes it this way in Ephesians 6:12: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
And while we’re all targets for the enemy’s schemes, Satan is smart enough to recognize that attacks on our kids are especially powerful.
He understands that if he can grab their hearts and establish false teachings in their mind from the earliest age, all he has to do is sit back and watch the dominos fall.
Yes, it’s a terrifying thought to know that our children have an enemy that actively plots to hurt them.
But here’s the great news: The Bible promises that nothing, nothing can thwart God’s good plans for our children. No plan from the enemy can snatch our kids out of God’s awesome covering. And speaking of that enemy, we read in Revelation 20 that he has already lost the war. Amen!
As Christians, our job now is to fight! And as Christian parents, these great battles for our kids’ hearts are fought in prayer as we use God’s Truth to claim victory, break down half-truths and ask for divine guidance (2 Corinthian 10:3-5).
However, as a parent, it’s incredibly easy to be overwhelmed by this task! We know that we’re supposed to be praying for our kids, but what specific areas are our kids most susceptible to satanic attack?
Truly, there’s no one answer to that question! Every child is unique.
Yet, I believe there are 5 general areas where our enemy tends to attack this generation of kids. Let’s take a look at each of them and discover how we can best pray against the enemy’s evil schemes.
Area #1: Self-Worth
We want our children’s inner thoughts and self-worth to reflect the thoughts that God has about them.
Instead of being filled with puffed up pride or mere “self-love,” we desire that they believe the truth: That they are beautifully handmade by a Creator who loves them so much that He gave His son’s life to have a relationship with them.
We want them to understand how much God values them, and that nothing or no one can change who they are in Christ.
How Satan Attacks:
He teaches them that life is all about them and their pleasure.
At the same time, he is quick to condemn them for their mistakes and to “rub their noses in it” and tell them they aren’t worthy.
How We Can Pray:
Dear Jesus, help our kids know that we are all born as sinners and separated from God because of our wicked hearts. However, at an early age, help our children grasp the life-transforming concept that they don’t have to live as a sinner under that condemnation.
Teach our children that they have the opportunity to accept a new, beautiful identity that is called “good,” not because of what they have done or what they look like, but because they are secure in who YOU say they are: treasured, delightful, known and protected. Let them not place their self-worth in accomplishments they may or may not achieve, but let them discover these deeper truths about who You believe they are and build every decision they make on that sure foundation.
Area #2: Body Image
We want our kids to have a deep reverence for the intricate way their unique body is formed, and because of this respect, we want our kids to grow up honoring their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.
We want our kids to treat their bodies with respect by honoring the boundaries God suggests, such as sexual exchange only between a man and a woman within the confines of a marital relationship.
While we want our kids to take care of their bodies through healthy food choices and regular exercise, we also want them to understand that they are not defined by their physical appearance.
How Satan Attacks:
The enemy is hard at work in this area today! First, he tells our kids that they’re not uniquely made, but that they’re simply a result of a random combination of genes that’s taken millions of years to create.
Then he convinces our kids that they are mere animals with physical desires that should be fulfilled at any cost. He wants them to believe that physical pleasure (such as sexuality outside of marriage) is normal and right and that anyone who tells them differently is being judgmental.
In terms of health, he uses television and the media to oh-so-subtly promote certain body shapes as ideal over others. Tweens and teens are especially weak in this area since their bodies are rapidly changing on the outside and they are asking pivotal questions about self-identity on the inside. He convinces them that every measure must be taken to achieve these ideal body images, including those that lead to eating disorders and drug abuse.
How We Can Pray:
Dear Jesus, we weep with you over the number of our kids who are buying into the lie that sexual pleasure is something to experiment with. We pray that our kids would treasure their sexuality as a true gift from You, and that they would honor that gift by saving it as a precious treasure to give their future spouse. We ask that you would help them to be strong in the face of their own desires and that they would choose purity in the face of temptation.
Lord we also ask that you’d protect our kids from the idea that they must do anything and everything (including abusing their bodies through eating disorders, drug abuse, or other harmful behaviors) in order to attaining a “preferred” shape or figure. We pray you’d protect our kids from that kind of destructive thinking, and that if they’re tempted to take these kind of drastic measures, that you’d send someone in their lives to stop them. Help them to remember over and over that their identity is not in how they look on the outside but what you see as their potential and worth on the inside.
We pray that our children would treasure their health as a gift from God and that they would have a passion to eat nutritious food and to stay active in order to do their part to take care of this treasure.
Area #3: Influences
We want our kids to be surrounded by those who can influence them toward God’s great purpose for their lives; and we also want our kids to grow to become those people who influence others in powerful ways for the greater good.
How Satan Attacks:
Satan’s easiest way to attack here would be, of course, to simply surround our kids with bad influences. But he’s a little trickier than that.
While he still does try to place negative influences in our children’s lives, he knows that we are good parents who do our best to protect our kids from the bad influences.
So he often attempts the opposite: He does everything in his power to (subtly) keep the good influences out.
He keeps our kids away from God’s word. He keeps our children’s parents (that’s us!) too busy and distracted to influence our kids the way that we need to. He strengthens our children’s natural tendency to laziness and complacency.
Using books, television, news reports and social media, he slowly simmers our kids in the false thinking that truth is relative and not absolute. Through this process, he affirms the falsehood that an individual’s godly influence is irrelevant and can even be considered offensive and judgmental against others’ beliefs.
Slowly, he convinces them that they can’t make a difference and that they really don’t have the power the change things anyway, so why even try?
How We Can Pray:
First, oh Lord, forgive us for the times when we have misplaced our priorities so that we haven’t been available to model a strong relationship with You in front of our kids. Help us to understand the power of our influence in our children’s lives and to reorder our schedule so that we can be available to both directly and indirectly offer the godly influence that our kids desperately need.
Second, while we do pray that our kids would be protected from negative influences, we also pray that you would surround them with friendships and mentor-type relationships that portray what it means to have an authentic relationship with Christ. In turn, we pray that you would raise our kids up to be the influencers of the next generation. We pray that you would allow godliness and righteousness to dwell in their hearts so richly that these evidences of your truth spill out of them and to every person they encounter.
Through it all, we pray that they would not be prone to laziness or complacency, but that they would believe that even a single candle burning in the dark makes a difference and would boldly stand up for truth, even when it’s unpopular.
Area #4: Passions
We want our kids to live purposefully and passionately, always seeking God’s direction. We want them to grow up with a willingness to persevere, a deep understanding of the cost (and joys) of commitment, and to be unwilling to settle for complacency and comfort.
How Satan Attacks:
He distracts and confuses them. He encourages them to use emotion to guide their decision-making instead of seeking to align their passions with what God is already doing.
In addition, he doesn’t want our kids to understand or appreciate their unique personality and talents that God has divinely given them.
Instead, he encourages them toward laziness. He convinces them to be content with seeking self-pleasure and the easy way out. Through mindless pursuits, he keeps them numb to the better life of magnificent beauty that comes from following God’s wild and wonderful best path.
How We Can Pray:
God, help us to know how to guide our kids in their passions by blessing us with the divine wisdom to know when to joyfully open up the gates toward new freedoms and desires, and when to curtail our children’s passions because they’re not able to accept the responsibilities yet in full. Help us model to our kids what it means to live passionately for You by boldly following the dreams you’ve placed in our heart, never settling for complacency.
Help us to direct our kids with both cautiousness and courage, not allowing our own fears about “what if…?” get in the way of how You want to use them in the world. We pray that our children would continuously seek your ways and your wisdom, regardless of what life brings. We pray that they would understand their importance in the world and that you’d make clear to them at a very early age how they can use their God-given talents to play a role in Your passion to show both truth and love to the nations.
Area #5: Money, Possessions and Work
We want our children to have a healthy relationship with money, understanding that possessions are not equated to a person’s worth nor do they bring ultimate happiness. We want them to understand that the things of this world can bring us enjoyment, but that lasting joy is found only in God.
How Satan Attacks:
Like Eve in the Garden, the enemy teases and tempts our kids with good looking “fruit” (worldly possessions) that he promises will solve their problems and bring fulfillment.
He convinces them that they need to do everything they can to get ahead (including compromising their values, if need be) because having lots of money and possessions is the ultimate goal.
Through a spirit of ingratitude, he keeps them insecure, empty and preoccupied with thoughts of what they do not have so that they’re always looking for more.
How We Can Pray:
Heavenly Father, help us to model a healthy example of how to handle possessions and money. Help us to work hard, but to not wear ourselves out in order to get rich so that our children can witness a positive, godly view of hard work and the pursuit of success.
We pray that our kids would persevere in whatever vocation you give them and that they would work with cheerful hearts as if they were serving you directly.
We pray that our kids would see at an early age that money and possessions are a gift from You and thus must be always held with an open hand so that You can use those gifts to bless others.
We ask that our kids would find their value in their true identity as a child of You, not in the possessions they do or do not have. We pray for contentment and gratefulness in whatever situation they’re given—rich or poor. We pray they would have a steadfast commitment to work hard with the talents you’ve given them so that they could support themselves, their families and use their money as a way to bless others in need.
Ultimately, we pray that they would discover that the greatest “wealth” they could possess would be in relationships, especially in a relationship with You.
Brothers and sisters, let’s commit anew today to begin regularly fighting against the enemy’s schemes by powerfully praying for our kids in these areas!
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*** By Alicia Michelle, author, speaker and blogger at YourVibrantFamily.com, is passionate about helping women discover their beautifully imperfect journey through parenting, marriage, homeschooling, faith and homemaking. She’s also happily married homeschool mom of four curious and amazing kids that keep her on her toes! / Repost from Crosswalk.com
In light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, to overturn federal abortion legislation, it is critical we subjectively discern from a Biblical perspective how a Christian should respond to the abortion debate.
The landmark decision of Roe vs. Wade (410 U.S. 113) by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s right to have an abortion without government restriction, if she so chooses.
Therefore, abortion has been legal in the United States for the past 49 years, resulting in the death of an estimated 63,459,781 babies since the court decision passed, which likely does not capture all undocumented abortions performed as well.
Keep in mind, the topic of abortion is incredibly divisive in political and religious communities because it magnifies whose life we are ultimately protecting under judicial law: Mother (pro-choice) or Baby (pro-life).
“Abortion is the most serious ethical issue that the United States has ever faced.”
— R.C. Sproul
Pro-choice proponents, which refer to themselves as pro-reproductive rights, believe a woman has the right to choose for herself what she does to her body, which includes whether she wants to have children at all and when. They believe timing of the pregnancy is of little to no consequence, because a woman should have the right to terminate her abortion at any time as the law allows.
Conversely, pro-life supporters within the religious, scientific, and medical fields, such as the American College of Pediatricians, believe life begins at conception-fertilization. Therefore, one can conclude that aborting a single-celled embryo is equivalent to ending the life of a human being and should be disallowed.
However, where the debate becomes difficult to discern hinges on the extremes. What if the mother’s life is at risk if she carries the baby full term? What if doctors predict the baby will be born with disabilities or handicaps? What if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest?
All are valid questions and difficult to discern, which is why we must reconcile what God’s Word says regarding the abortion debate if we profess ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ.
TRUTH:
Christianity’s response to the abortion debate is simple. For if we identify as “born-again” (John 3:3), we are held accountable by the absolute truth of God’s Word to trust and obey what it teaches entirely. Therefore, whatever the Bible teaches regarding the sanctity of human life SHOULD BE what every Christian adopts as their personal doctrine of ethics and morality.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
The challenge is pro-choice proponents do not adhere to the same foundation of truth, therefore using the Bible to defend a position which refuses a woman’s right to access and choose an abortion is considered, in their opinion, an infringement on basic human rights.
Again, extreme instances (rape, incest, at-risk pregnancy, etc.) are typically used to challenge and refute the Biblical argument that unequivocally, abortion is murder and should not be allowed. Their argument is that the pregnancy was either nonvolitional due to a crime committed or has the potential to catastrophically impact the mother or baby’s life, hence abortion is a reasonable and justifiable alternative.
What is sad is the pro-choice camp has successfully used religious imposition and extreme arguments to gain support for their abortion agenda from the faith community, hence why so many self-proclaimed Christians (and even church denominations) waffle on the issue under the following premises.
“I personally would not have an abortion, but I cannot impose my religious beliefs on someone else.”
“I personally would not have an abortion, but I believe it is okay under extreme circumstances.”
Unfortunately, many Christians fail to comprehend that if abortion is allowed under ANY circumstance, what the Bible says in correlation to the issue is irrelevant, therefore calling into question EVERYTHING the Bible teaches universally. In other words, if you can refute one point of Scripture you can refute it all, which is why Jesus repeatedly emphasized the validity of Scripture as the absolute truth of God.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17–18).
Jesus did not provide opportunity for doubting Scripture’s inerrancy. Therefore, we cannot hold to what the Bible says about abortion yet have an escape clause attached to it, even in extreme circumstances.
CONSEQUENCES:
What we cannot miss from the Biblical position is that abortion is equated to murder, which no born-again Christian should endorse. For God is the sole creator of mankind and each life is precious to Him because He foreknew us before He created us.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Consequently, to understand the Bible’s position more clearly, we must first consider the grave consequences attributed to committing murder from God’s perspective.
“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).
“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 24:17).
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6).
Simply stated, God does not want mankind to make foolish choices which require equivalent retribution (i.e. eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth). Therefore, the wise decision for us to live by would be to avoid committing murder in any form or fashion (abortion included).
However, the greater issue at hand is how abortion allows consequences of action to be minimized. Case in point, pregnancy is the result of unprotected sex. Therefore, to avoid getting pregnant, choose abstinence since the decision to have sex in most cases is a personal choice and not the result of rape or incest.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).
Unfortunately, abortion has literally been used as a means to an end to avoid consequences because it allows a couple to enjoy the pleasures of sex with no strings attached. It provides an escape opportunity to avoid accountability (extreme cases excluded), which only exacerbates the problem further rather than forcing people to take personal responsibility instead.
“It isn’t sex by itself that makes abortion. It is sex plus covetousness: desiring things that God does not will for us to have because we are not willing to find our satisfaction in him. Illicit sex and unencumbered freedom without children: for these we covet, and abortion is the result.”
— John Piper
The same justification holds true from pro-choice advocates under the justification that perhaps a woman is unable to rear the child properly. In other words, it would do more harm than good to birth a child into an unfavorable environment, therefore avoid it altogether.
What we must understand about the pro-choice position is their argument is all about ACCESS. In other words, don’t infringe upon a woman’s freedom or “basic human right” to ACCESS an abortion. Because according to them, if Roe vs. Wade is overturned, ACCESS to birth control, sex education, and reproductive health care suddenly disappear as well.
Unfortunately, that argument is nothing more than a scare tactic to make people believe ALL their freedoms and access to general health care will be stripped away if abortion is specifically banned. However, preventing a pregnancy through birth control methods is completely different than ending a pregnancy via abortion. Therefore, they should not be a package deal in the abortion debate.
EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES:
Where the rubber meets the road for most Christians who struggle with banning ALL abortions is due to extreme circumstances. How can a woman or young girl be forced to carry a pregnancy full term if it was the result of rape or incest, or if the pregnancy poses a life-threatening risk?
Keep in mind, extreme circumstances account for a small % of abortions in the United States. For example, rape, incest, and life endangerment to the mother accounted for only 0.36% of all accounted abortions in the state of Florida during 2020 (out of a total of 74,868), yet these are the predominate reasons pro-choice advocates use to justify abortions.
Regardless of how small a percentage they are, though, extreme circumstances are an extremely difficult position to address and undoubtedly, a hyper-sensitive issue as well. However, Psalm 139:13-16 provides a clear answer regarding God’s sovereignty concerning the sanctity of life.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13–16).
What Psalm 139:13-16 affirms is that nothing we experience, good or bad, happens by accident without God knowing. More importantly, it affirms that God foreknew the choices we would make in our lives and the trials we’d face regarding pregnancy, whether the result of sins committed against us or potential life-threatening circumstances. However, Scripture’s response to both situations is clear.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
In other words, God encourages us to trust Him completely, come what may. For we may not be able to see the future nor understand the reasons our lives come to various crossroads, but God knows what lies beyond the horizon if we’d simply trust His omniscient sovereignty amidst our trials, worry, and confusion.
“In their book, ‘Victims and Victors,’ David Reardon and associates draw on the accounts of 192 women who experienced pregnancy as the result of rape or incest. It turns out that when victims of violence speak for themselves, their opinion of abortion is nearly unanimous and the exact opposite of what most would predict: Nearly all the women interviewed said they regretted aborting their babies conceived via rape or incest. Of those giving an opinion, more than 90 percent said they would discourage other victims of sexual violence from having abortions. Not one who gave birth to a child expressed regret.”
— Randy Alcorn
Undoubtedly, no Christian wishes harm to come on another person. Therefore, we pray all people would come to salvation through Jesus Christ according to His Word so that all their choices are God-honoring.
Granted, it doesn’t make the abortion debate any easier to reconcile nor appease pro-choice advocates in any way, but knowing what Scripture says about abortion does provide adequate rationale from a Biblical perspective regarding why pro-life supporters believe the way we do.
BOTTOM-LINE:
If we’re honest with ourselves, in most situations, the crux of the abortion debate hinges upon whose interest we’re looking out for most.
As Christians, we are called to consider others more worthy than ourselves. Therefore, we must reconcile WHO we feel is more important in the abortion debate: The mother who has a choice or the innocent child who does not.
“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16–19).
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Therefore, abortion is truly a debate about self-interest vs. self-sacrifice, and pro-life supporters feel compelled to speak on behalf of the unborn and protect their lives since they cannot defend themselves.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3–5).
It does not alleviate the difficulty of disallowing abortion under extreme circumstances, but it places the reality of the situation in plain sight if we consider, as John Piper explains, what happens during an abortion procedure.
“If we were made to watch a doctor pull off the little baby’s legs and arms one by one and place them on the table like a dentist removing cotton from your mouth – if all Americans were made to see what it really is, the pro-life goal of abortion being unthinkable (not just illegal) would be much nearer.”
— John Piper
Abortion is not an easy issue to address, especially for those who’ve had an abortion or are considering one in the future. However, Scripture affirms we can rest confidently in the assurance that God will make all things new to those who repent of their sins and reconcile their hearts to Him.
For He alone can heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3), create beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3), and restore the years we have wasted away (Joel 2:25). Yes, He can even provide a way of escape in extreme circumstances so abortion is never an option we would ever consider or allow in the future.
We simply need to put our complete trust in His sovereignty forevermore because He knows what it is best for us and will never forsake us, no matter how far we’ve fallen away from His grace and mercy.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Psalm 51:1–4).
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10–12).
GET INFORMED:
Please be informed and educated about abortion procedures and gain a better understanding of what they entail, visit: PRO LIFE CONNECT. This resource provides accurate, evidence based information designed to educate and inform people about the medical, emotional, and social aspects of abortion. Understanding the facts is a critical step in making informed decisions and engaging thoughtfully in the abortion debate.
BIBLE VERSES ADVOCATING FOR THE PRE-BORN
Psalm 139:13-16 “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Human beings are created in the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature.”
Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
Psalm 119:73 “Your hands made me and formed me.”
Job 10 :11-12 “You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love.”
Matthew 1:20 “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’”
Psalm 100:3. “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
Isaiah 44:24 “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.’”
Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Psalm 127:3-5 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in your mother’s body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.”
Luke 1:15 “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.”
Luke 1:41, 44 “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. [And she exclaimed], ‘when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.’”
Isaiah 49:1, 5 “The Lord called me from the womb… formed me from the womb to be his servant.”
Galatians 1:15 “But God set me apart from the time I was born. He showed me his grace by appointing me.”
Isaiah 45:9-11 “How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker! He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground. Does clay say to a potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does a pot say, ‘You don’t have any skill’? How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father, ‘Why did you give me life?’ How terrible for anyone who says to his mother, ‘Why have you brought me into the world?’ The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He made them. He says to them, ‘Are you asking me about what will happen to my children? Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?’”
Exodus 4:11 “The Lord said to him, ‘Who makes a man able to talk? Who makes him unable to hear or speak? Who makes him able to see? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord.’”
1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”
Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.’”
Exodus 23:7 “Do not kill the innocent and righteous.”
Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.”
Proverbs 24: 11- 12 “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”
Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.”
Psalm 10:12-15 “Lord, rise up! God, show your power! Don’t forget those who are helpless. Why do sinful people attack you with their words? Why do they say to themselves, ‘He won’t hold us accountable’? God, you see trouble and sadness. You take note of it. You do something about it. So those who are attacked place themselves in your care. You help children whose fathers have died. Take away the power of bad and sinful people. Hold them accountable for the evil things they do. Uncover all the evil they have done.”
Isaiah 58: 6-10 “Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain. Share your food with hungry people. Provide homeless people with a place to stay. Give naked people clothes to wear. Provide for the needs of your own family. Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That is because I always do what is right. You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, ‘Here I am.’ Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them. Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed. Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun.”
Matthew 25: 34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Luke 4: 18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”
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***By Daniel Ploof at Journey Into The Wilderness and the Advocacy team at Focus On The Family / Photo by lifenews.com
We must be careful of our words and how we use them, especially those who have spiritual authority: like a mother or father over a child, a husband over his wife or what we speak overselves; there is power in the tongue to bring life or death.
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21
What Does Life and Death In The Power Of The Tongue Mean?
It means that the words we speak have an incredible power to shape our lives and the lives of others. Our words can be used as a tool to bring life—by bringing encouragement, comfort, and hope—or to bring death—by spreading hurtful lies, gossip, and negativity. Every word we say carries with it a profound responsibility and a potential to make a difference.
In Matthew 12:37, Jesus said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” This verse teaches us that the power of our tongue can have lasting consequences. We are ultimately responsible for the words we use and how they affect ourselves, as well as others.
Our words have the power to lift up or tear down—to bring life or death into a situation. We should always remember that we are accountable for our words and think carefully about how we use them. When we choose to speak life, rather than death, it has the power to bring light and hope into a situation—and can even bring about miraculous transformations.
In Ephesians 4:29, it says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” This verse encourages us to speak words that are edifying and full of life. In our conversations with others, we should strive to bring hope and joy rather than hurt and despair.
James 3:10 says, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” This verse warns us against saying one thing in one moment and then something completely different in another moment. Our words should always reflect integrity and thoughtfulness.
Our Words Can Bring Life or Death
Life and death are in the power of the tongue. That means we should take everything we say very seriously. Let’s look at specific ways to speak life and some of the ways we speak death.
We Speak Life By Encouraging Others
We can use our words to bring life by encouraging and uplifting those around us. We can choose to speak words of kindness that build up instead of tear down. Consider speaking truth in love and offering words of affirmation when we talk about others—including ourselves.
In Hebrews 10:24, it says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” This verse reminds us that our words have the power to bring encouragement and motivation into someone else’s life.
Our words have the power to bring about positive change, inspire others, and even heal broken relationships. We can use our words to make a difference in someone’s life—by offering them hope and comfort. For example, speaking words of affirmation can be especially powerful for someone who is struggling with low self-esteem or depression.
We Speak Death By Being Critical
One of the most common ways we speak death into the lives of others is by constantly being critical. We can use our words to tear down and discourage those around us. But when we do this, we are not using the power of our tongues for good.
In Proverbs 18:21 it says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” This verse reminds us that words have power—and whatever we speak can bring life or death into the lives of those around us.
Therefore, let us be careful with our words—that they may bring life and not death to those around us. May we choose to use our words for good and make a difference in someone’s life!
We Speak Life By Speaking The Truth
It’s also important to speak life by speaking the truth. This means avoiding manipulation, exaggeration, and fabrication with our words. It means saying what is true and helpful in a respectful manner—and not using our words to manipulate others or spread lies.
In Colossians 3:9-10 it says, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” We should always strive to use our words responsibly and respectfully—and never twist the truth or mislead others with our words.
By being mindful of the power of our words, we can choose to bring life into every situation. Life and death are in the power of the tongue—so let us use our words wisely, for the glory of God.
May we speak life into each other’s lives, and uplift one another through our words!
We Speak Death By Gossiping
Gossip and slander are another common way that we can speak death into the lives of others. We should never spread rumors or engage in gossip, as it has the power to ruin someone’s reputation and cause a lot of hurt.
In Proverbs 16:28 it says, “A perverse man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.” This verse reminds us that our words can be destructive and hurtful if we are not careful.
Gossip is not an innocent thing. Let us be mindful of what we say and not use our words to spread malicious lies or destructive rumors. May we choose instead to speak life into the lives of those around us, and never use our words for evil.
We Speak Life By Praying For Others
We should also use our words to speak life by praying for others. We can pray for those who need encouragement, healing, and hope in their lives. By being intentional with our prayers, we can bring joy and peace into someone else’s world.
In James 5:16 it says “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” This verse reminds us of the power of our prayers—and how they can bring about healing and restoration in the lives of others.
Really, there are few things better than praying for someone. When we pray we are asking God Himself to intervene in a person’s life. We’re asking the most powerful and loving being in the universe to do good to someone. Is there anything better than that?
We Speak Death By Complaining
We should be mindful of how our words affect those around us. We should avoid complaining or grumbling about people and situations, as it only brings negativity into the atmosphere. Additionally, complaining tends to spread. When you complain it tempts others to complain as well.
In Philippians 2:14-15 it says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
Our words can be a light to those around us—or they can be a source of darkness. Let us use our words wisely, and strive to speak life into every situation. We can use our words to bring joy and hope into the world, rather than negativity.
Speak Life By Using Words Of Blessing
Finally, we can use our words to speak life by speaking words of blessing over those around us. We can choose to use our words to bless instead of curse. This means choosing not to criticize or pass judgement, but rather offering grace and mercy through our speech.
In Numbers 6:24 it says, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” We can use this verse as a model for offering words of blessing in our lives.
When we speak words of blessing, we are using our words to bring life and joy into someone else’s world. We can bless people with our words, whether we are giving an encouraging word in a difficult time or simply speaking kind and gentle words. Let us choose to use our words to be a blessing!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “life and death are in the power of the tongue” mean?
This phrase comes from Proverbs 18:21, which says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” This verse is referring to how powerful our words can be—in that they can bring death or life into a situation. Our words have the power to create positive or negative change in the world, depending on how we use them.
What does it mean to speak life?
To speak life means to use your words to encourage and lift up those around you. It means speaking words of blessing rather than criticism, and using our words as an instrument for good in the world. Using our words to speak life means being intentional about bringing joy and hope into someone else’s world.
What does the Bible say about speaking life?
The Bible is full of verses that encourage us to use our words wisely and speak life into every situation. In James 3:5-6 it says, “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” This is a powerful reminder of how important it is to use our words for good, rather than evil. Let us strive to be mindful of our words and speak life into every situation!
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*** By Stephen Altrogge at The Blazing Center: theblazingcenter.com
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