One Teacher's Words Shaped A Life

This past week Joel and I listened to a sermon Paul Manwaring spoke at Bethel Church about our past, present, and our future.  It was especially encouraging for us as he talked about the prophetic words that are spoken over us and what that means for our future.  Doubt likes to come in and steal what God has planted in your heart, but there is no room for doubt when we realize Jesus has already seen our future and He is speaking into that future.   He has already been there!  He knows the ending of our movie!!

Prophetic words/words of knowledge from God are used to encourage and build up, confirming the present and speaking the future in us and in others.  Bethel Church in Redding CA has a school for Kindg. through 8th grade.  Part of their school policy is to keep a folder on each child that is filled with encouraging words that have been spoken over the boys and girls that attend school and Sunday School there.  By the time they are through high school they have in their hands all the beautiful words of knowledge from God that have been given to their teachers to write down.  Amazing.

Paul Manwaring reminded us to also be aware of how we speak over ourselves.  Words matter.  I am completely convinced that God created the "words matter" idea!  His word is living...healing...powerful...saving........and so. much. more.  We need to be aware of how we speak over others too.  Our words hold power.

One great example of that is with the teacher Joel had for the first 8 years of his life.  He went to a one room school house and had the same teacher the whole time.  Joel had a difficult time reading.  He had some form of undiagnosed dyslexia or learning disability.  His teacher would encourage him all the time, supporting him, working with him, and telling him he could grow up to be anything he wanted to be!  No limitations.  He believed her and grew from a young boy who could only read with great difficulty to a man with 12 years of college behind him and a calling that requires a whole lot of reading and writing!

We need to take the negative words we hear, weigh and discern them, asking ourselves, "What would Jesus be saying?"   What are we to speak into others lives.....what are we to speak over ourselves?  This is NOT just positive thinking.  This is taking the Word of God and speaking it into your lives and the lives of others.  This is believing the Word is living, the Word heals, the Word saves.  This is believing our words do matter, that they do shape others. They shape lives.