I have always had a big mouth. I have talked for a long time. I just called my mom to verify this next statement. I said “da da” at four months old. I started jabbering at four months old. It have been seeking an audience ever since. I’ll talk to a wall. I have talked to people who called the wrong number. In the third grade, Mrs. McBee nicknamed me hot lips. I was always talking for other people. All of my teachers agreed on one thing, that I should simply shut up. I won’t keep you in suspense; I didn’t. I kept right on taking all the way to the twelfth grade. I didn’t even let college stop me.
My dad used to tell me, “Son, don’t let your mouth overload your butt,” or “Don’t write a check with your mouth that your butt can’t cash.” To put it more simply, “Don’t say more than you can do.” I have often found myself in situations where I have done just that. I do it pretty regularly. I run my mouth too much. I have found that this principle of not saying more than you can do is not really applicable to our lives in Christ. I will explain.
“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psm. 118:24)
Boy that is a real mouth full sometimes. Lately, I can say it with my mouth, but I have to get my butt in gear to believe it.
Take the verse that I mentioned at the onset. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I don’t always feel like rejoicing. I have actually made myself quote this verse every morning for the past several mornings. Did you hear me? I have made myself quote it. That means that I haven’t always felt like saying it. I have certainly had mornings where I didn’t feel like rejoicing.
The other day (I really mean the other day – like four days ago), I went to bed with this in mind. I said to myself that I was going to get up and claim that I had a reason to rejoice. So the next morning, I did just that. I woke up and quoted that verse. I also agreed that night with God that the next day I wanted to know His presence. I also instructed Satan that he could go to hell. I wanted him to know his place. That next morning, I knew that God was with me. I sensed it. I simply claimed His word. He was right. When I rejoiced in Him, I was glad in Him. I moved from being a self-centered person to being a God-centered person by simply acting on His word.
There is another verse that helps me when I am struggling. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of His presence” (Psm. 42:5, also in 42:11 & 43:5). God instructs us when we are despairing, discouraged, depressed, and hopeless to do something. That sucks huh? You already don’t feel like doing something. It doesn’t make sense. Nobody feels like doing anything when they are hurting and despairing. But, it is what God requires. Think about what He requires.
God says, “Hope in me.” That is what we are to do, hope in Him. Our despair, depression, discouragement, and hopelessness come from a wrong focus. Our focus has turned to our circumstances and our inability to change them. That isn’t a God-centered focus. That is when these hurts consume us. This is where these emotions become chronic. You begin to feel like they will never change. God has a remedy for this. In Psalm 118:24 He says to, “Rejoice and be glad.” In Psalm 42:5 He says to, “Hope in God.”
I have heard people say things like, “Turn that frown upside down.” I want slap the crap out people like that. They make me want to puke. It is a false statement. That puts the emphasis back on your ability to change things. You can’t. That is a self-centered way of dealing with your despair. God requires only that we turn it over to Him.
I was saying earlier that my dad used to tell me not to say things that I can’t do. That is great advice. Turning my frown upside down is an example of something that I can’t do on my own. Sure, I can smile and convince people that things are good. But, I can’t change hopelessness into hope. Only God can do that.
I can’t back up much that my big mouth says. But, God backs up every word that comes from Him. See, I was kind of sad when I realized that I can’t run my mouth about what I can do because I usually can’t do it. I was sad because I like to run my mouth. The good news is that I can still run my big mouth. How? I can just say all the things that God can do. He’s always right. I feel much better now. I can keep on talking. I am sure that distresses some of you.
You can always speak God’s promises with assurance. If His word says it, then You can claim it to the world. I encourage you to proclaim His word with power and authority. It has been given to you in Christ Jesus. Don’t let your thoughts or your circumstances dictate who you are or what you can have. Claim the word of God for the victory that is already yours in Christ. God doesn’t write checks that He can’t back. He doesn’t let His mouth overload His butt.
My dad used to tell me, “Son, don’t let your mouth overload your butt,” or “Don’t write a check with your mouth that your butt can’t cash.” To put it more simply, “Don’t say more than you can do.” I have often found myself in situations where I have done just that. I do it pretty regularly. I run my mouth too much. I have found that this principle of not saying more than you can do is not really applicable to our lives in Christ. I will explain.
“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psm. 118:24)
Boy that is a real mouth full sometimes. Lately, I can say it with my mouth, but I have to get my butt in gear to believe it.
Take the verse that I mentioned at the onset. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I don’t always feel like rejoicing. I have actually made myself quote this verse every morning for the past several mornings. Did you hear me? I have made myself quote it. That means that I haven’t always felt like saying it. I have certainly had mornings where I didn’t feel like rejoicing.
The other day (I really mean the other day – like four days ago), I went to bed with this in mind. I said to myself that I was going to get up and claim that I had a reason to rejoice. So the next morning, I did just that. I woke up and quoted that verse. I also agreed that night with God that the next day I wanted to know His presence. I also instructed Satan that he could go to hell. I wanted him to know his place. That next morning, I knew that God was with me. I sensed it. I simply claimed His word. He was right. When I rejoiced in Him, I was glad in Him. I moved from being a self-centered person to being a God-centered person by simply acting on His word.
There is another verse that helps me when I am struggling. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him for the help of His presence” (Psm. 42:5, also in 42:11 & 43:5). God instructs us when we are despairing, discouraged, depressed, and hopeless to do something. That sucks huh? You already don’t feel like doing something. It doesn’t make sense. Nobody feels like doing anything when they are hurting and despairing. But, it is what God requires. Think about what He requires.
God says, “Hope in me.” That is what we are to do, hope in Him. Our despair, depression, discouragement, and hopelessness come from a wrong focus. Our focus has turned to our circumstances and our inability to change them. That isn’t a God-centered focus. That is when these hurts consume us. This is where these emotions become chronic. You begin to feel like they will never change. God has a remedy for this. In Psalm 118:24 He says to, “Rejoice and be glad.” In Psalm 42:5 He says to, “Hope in God.”
I have heard people say things like, “Turn that frown upside down.” I want slap the crap out people like that. They make me want to puke. It is a false statement. That puts the emphasis back on your ability to change things. You can’t. That is a self-centered way of dealing with your despair. God requires only that we turn it over to Him.
I was saying earlier that my dad used to tell me not to say things that I can’t do. That is great advice. Turning my frown upside down is an example of something that I can’t do on my own. Sure, I can smile and convince people that things are good. But, I can’t change hopelessness into hope. Only God can do that.
I can’t back up much that my big mouth says. But, God backs up every word that comes from Him. See, I was kind of sad when I realized that I can’t run my mouth about what I can do because I usually can’t do it. I was sad because I like to run my mouth. The good news is that I can still run my big mouth. How? I can just say all the things that God can do. He’s always right. I feel much better now. I can keep on talking. I am sure that distresses some of you.
You can always speak God’s promises with assurance. If His word says it, then You can claim it to the world. I encourage you to proclaim His word with power and authority. It has been given to you in Christ Jesus. Don’t let your thoughts or your circumstances dictate who you are or what you can have. Claim the word of God for the victory that is already yours in Christ. God doesn’t write checks that He can’t back. He doesn’t let His mouth overload His butt.
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