Life can be hard; there is no doubt about this truth. None of us are exempt from times of challenge, loss, and disappointment. But when we experience these things, it’s crucial to remember that disappointment should not be the lens through which we view our lives and all God has to offer. We must maintain our faith, no matter what.
Times of challenge and disappointment can drastically change what we can believe God for if we allow it to.
For instance, if we stand in faith for someone’s healing and they go to be with the Lord, the disappointment of that outcome can become the lens through which we view how we pray for the next person, often with less assurance of God’s faithfulness. Or, if we walk through a challenging financial season while being faithful tithers or givers, it may color the way we choose to give moving forward.
Today, as I thought about these things, I read a post online. It said…
I refuse to allow my feelings to affect my health, no matter what is going on around me or in me, my confession of faith will not change.
I think this should apply to every area of our lives—no matter what our feelings are, our faith confession does not change.
It could just as easily say…I refuse to allow my feelings or my disappointments to affect my health, my wealth, my family, or any part of my life. No matter what is going on around me, my confession and faith in God’s Word will not change.
If our confession of faith changes, we limit God. There are many ways we can limit God. Two of those ways are through our small thinking and our negative talking. Both can become the side effects of walking through disappointment, loss, or challenge.
One common symptom of disappointment is that it leads to small thinking. Instead of believing God for big things, when we become disappointed, we often choose not to set our sights so high the next time. We tend to become safer in what we choose to believe God for.
Another thing that limits God is our participation in negative speaking. If we cannot say what the Word of God says, then we need to keep silent until we can. Anything that goes against the Word of God will be determinantal for the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives. Words produce fruit – a fruit the Bible says we will eat of. Therefore, we must keep silent or speak God’s Word only.
Our lives will follow our words, so we must make sure our words align with the Word of God. We must remember that God spoke the entire world into existence, and we can do the same. I love this scripture in the Book of Daniel.
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (Dan 10:12)
Our words ascend to God. He hears our words. And He sends His angels with our answer…all because of our words. Proverbs 18:21 tells us there is life and death in the power of our words. When we speak, it is not just noise coming out of our mouths. What is coming out of our mouths is either LIFE or DEATH. Every. Single. Time. We. Speak. Life or death comes forth.
I have known this truth for decades and frankly, should never stumble in this area. However, I have found when we go through hard times, our words are often the first thing to come out of line with God’s Word. We must be very cautious of that. We must keep our words positive and never negative. Remember, God is listening to our words – not one word comes out of our mouths that He doesn’t hear. Not only is He listening, but reinforcements will be sent because of our words when they align with His Word and His will. So, even when we don’t understand what is happening, even when we are in challenging times, especially then, we must watch our words.
My friends, I want to encourage you today, don’t limit God. Don’t allow your thoughts or your vision to become small, regardless of what you have walked through. And don’t allow negative words or words that don’t align with God’s promise for you to come out of your mouth. SPEAK THE WORD ONLY. When we speak only His Word, the limits come off. May this be a season of unlimited possibilities for you in the Kingdom of God. That is our prayer for you today.
