No Weapons

Sometimes I think we don’t realize how at one moment we are doing the right thing – encouraging (putting courage in to), building up, and inspiring; the next moment our words are used to discourage (take courage out of), tear down, and belittle.

We are . . .

. . . quick to criticize,

. . . quick to slander,

. . . quick to judge.

Weapon words are flung without first bringing every thought captive to the throne of God.

Weapon words are hurled without thinking about what it does to the heart of the hearer.

Isaiah 45:17 tells us that no weapon formed against us will prosper. The other morning after hearing of weapon words launched against some people I love, and losing a couple of hours of sleep over it, I began praying that no weapons formed against this part of the body would prosper.

We are so quick to shoot our own.

We cut ourselves and watch ourselves bleed.

We sometimes amputate parts of our own body.

SHAME. ON. US.

I Peter 3:8-9 says that we are to have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Then it says “Do NOT repay evil for evil, or insult for insult; we are to BLESS others, for to this we are called, so that we may obtain a blessing.

I could give you the definition of every word, but I’m only going to give one.

The (Greek) definition for NOT is this:

NO (not surprising)*

NOT (obviously)*

GOD FORBID (are you kidding me??)*

GOD FORBID that we should insult, that we should use weapon words or

weapon looks (ah-oh) against our brothers and sisters.

GOD FORBID.

His words, not mine.

Father, my heart hurts for those at the target end of weapons fired. But it also hurts for those who shoot because they have hurts of their own. We all hurt. Thank you that when I started calling names out to You for You to bless, You were quick to calm my heart. Quick to give me peace. To let me go back to sleep. I love that about You. Let me be eager to love, eager to encourage, eager to bless. I pray that no weapon formed against this body will prosper. Thank You for the work You are doing in spite of us. You never stop amazing me with the way You work.

I’m so very blessed.

* my own thoughts of each definition