Scripture tells us that every one of our days were written into existence before we were even formed in the womb (Psalm 139:16). In many conversations with our patients throughout the past few weeks, I have found myself saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” It is so easy to hear this in the context between a nurse and a patient, only to immediately conclude that ‘the reason’ belongs to the patient, but have you ever stopped to consider that ‘the reason’ may be just as much for the nurse?
This week, I found myself sitting beside the wheelchair of a gentlemen who was enjoying his first breaths of the outdoor fresh air in days. With oxygen flowing through the tubing that curled over his ears and into his nose, he spewed with wisdom and love for the Lord our God.
I often share stories of our patient’s journeys, recoveries, and shifts in perspective, or at least the small portion that I get to witness and hear about, but the reality is that many times, I, as the nurse, am just as impacted, if not even more so. After listening to this man so passionately speak for nearly forty-five minutes, I couldn’t help but smile in realizing the way that the Lord had orchestrated those very moments. He knows exactly what we need, who we need, what we need to hear and when we need to hear it.
In the midst of this man’s battle with COVID, he was spending his energy and breath to build me up and encourage me in the body of Christ. Oh, how badly I wish I would have had my pen and notebook to jot down many of the words he spoke, but there is one thing that he said in which I have pondered upon for many days as it has been engrained in my mind.
“Never have a conversation without the word of God. His words have power, but alone, our words are powerless.”
What an incredible challenge. How many words have I wasted? How many words do I waste every single day?
As I continued to sit with his words of wisdom, I thought about what it looks like to bring the Word of God into every conversation. I thought of my mentors and how every interaction is lavished with scripture and focused on Christ; the life of Christ, the cross of Christ, and the life that we are to live in Christ. I thought of my best friend and the way that he constantly encourages me in living a life in the pursuit of Christ through every single conversation. I thought about my charge nurse over the past few weeks, and how though our interactions have been short and spread out, every word that has come from her mouth has been coated with the love of the Lord. I have even thought of these past three weeks as a whole, and how many of our conversations have been Christ-based; how many of our words have been connected to the depth of the word of God. That doesn’t mean that we have used every articulated sound from our mouths to recite scripture, but His Word has laid beneath the foundation of many of the words that we have spoken.
But what happens when we leave this setting? What does this look like when translated back to “the real world”? Do we continue to strengthen our words by the power of His Word or do we revert to the powerlessness of our own voice? Does it depend who is on the other end of the conversation or what’s going on around us?
Here, surrounded by the body of Christ, immersed in the love of Christ, and so directly to the eye of man doing the work of Christ, it is simple to root our words in His words, but I want to walk forward in the challenge of inviting the power of God’s word into the words I speak no matter where I am, who I am surrounded by, or what is happening.
“His words have power…”
This portion of what my patient had said to me continued to play in my mind, so as taught by my mentors, I took it back to scripture.
What does the word of God say about the word of God?
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.”
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Acts 20:32 “‘Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.’”
John 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”
John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
Hebrews 11:3 “Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.”
Acts 6:7 “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to faith.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”
Isaiah 55:11 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
The word of God is … Alive and active. Available. Faith-inducing. Everlasting. Disciple-producing. Sanctifying. Purifying. Working. Unfailing. And yes, dear patient, powerful.
What, then, is keeping us from infusing our words with His words? It is the very reason that our words remain empty, temporary and weak.
Matthew 12:36 “You can be sure of this: when the day of judgment comes, everyone will be held accountable for every careless word he has spoken. Your very words will be used as evidence, and your words will declare you either innocent or guilty.”
Our words are important. Our words carry weight. Our words are an outpouring of that which is in our heart.
Let us not waste our words, but come before the Lord with the heart of the author of Psalm 19:14, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing to your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
How may our words be more pleasing to our Lord, our Rock, our Redeemer than to be a reflection of His very words which He has so freely given to each of us.
We have a choice to make today – to speak empty, powerless words of the flesh or to coat our words with the power of the Lord our God.
So good!!!!
Thank you Beth ❤️