sundayword: BY PROSPER TINGINI
In Zimbabwe I would say most of our woes are a result of our own spoken words. Even before the onset of our economic problems, I had heard numerous people making declarations that we would suffer because of various reasons. The political scenario attracted the most statements of doom for the populace. Various utterances on things like election outcomes, corruption, sanctions and a host of other factors were and are still being cited as the causes of our economic meltdown. There is little positive thinking among the masses, hence you often hear people shouting, “Mati madii, muchatambura kupfuura zvamurikuita izvozvi,” (You haven’t experienced much suffering yet, you will suffer the more in the future.) On the political side you often hear people declaring, “Kutambura ndizvo zvamakavhotera. Next time muzive pokuvhotera” (“you voted for suffering, in next election you should know who to vote for”). Many other prophets of doom have “prophesied” of many other tribulations to come. Regrettably some of this “negative prophecy” has come to pass. We are now enjoying the fruits of the speeches of doom.
Our destiny is most often determined by what comes out of our mouths. We pass sentence on ourselves by our spoken words. Our fate is a result of the conversion of speech into a reality, of that which is uttered. It carries the same element as of faith, as for things hoped for. It then materialises and is made to happen. On the other hand, some people can deliberately work hard behind the scenes to ensure that what they say happens, to give credibility to their spoken words of fate.
Positive speeches give rise to positive results. Positive minds breed positive things. In Mark 11:23, Jesus spoke in reply to Peter, “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him”. I wish Zimbabweans could start talking about moving mountains, with regard to our economic situation. Surely if all of us can start to speak positively about our situation in a collective manner, then surely we will begin to see positive things on the horizon.
You are what you say, your words locate you and determine your destiny. Proverbs 18:21 reads: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Whether you live or die, depends on your mouth, the words you speak. Whether our Zimbabwe thrives or not also depends on what comes of our own mouths. We are either in prosperity or in tribulations, out of the words we speak. 1 Peter 3:10 says, “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no evil.” It should be that simple too, for Zimbabwe, if we speak with one positive voice. We can enjoy a prosperous economy in our times aided by God’s blessings and goodness, provided we use our tongues rightly and positively.
It does not matter the condition of our situation right now, we can recreate our situation through positive hope and positive utterances. We were made in the image of God; In His likeness, we can also make things happen through the power of speech. We read in the book of Genesis, of how God created things just through spoken words. He first brought order and form to a hitherto chaotic world. The world was initially without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2) And He spoke, “Let there be light”, and there was light (Genesis 1:3). Again He spoke, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. He spoke again, “Let the earth put forth the vegetation, plants yielding seeds, and fruits trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth and it was so” (Genesis 1:9-13). And it was so.
Allow me the monotony of repeating more of His spoken words at creation, to emphatically show how each spoken word we utter in expectancy can also come to fruition. He spoke that He made us in His image, meaning that what He does we can also do, among other things. Lastly God spoke, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”; (Genesis 1:26). Yes, yes, yes; what we speak out with our own mouths can also be made to happen through the power and blessing of the Heavenly Father, who made us in His likeness in spirit, manner and speech.
Jesus Christ also cautioned us of our speech, “By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned”. Nothing can be further from this truth. By our own spoken utterance we shall live or perish. Today, we are as a nation or as individuals are either in prosperity, health and abundance or in poverty, sickness and want, as a result of the words we have spoken. Proverbs 15:4 reads: “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit”.
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Sometimes we speak bad things about ourselves, our rulers and of others based on experiences. We can also speak ill of other people based on jealousy or in competition. What we wish for, of an evil nature on others can sometimes backfire and come back to haunt us. There is a wave of “back-to-sender” prayers these days meant to overturn bad wishes and curses declared by people on others. So be warned that the bad things you speak as bad omens on others can come back to affect you similarly.
On the negative side, a lack of faith can trigger negative thoughts, hence that can then generate negative speeches. The power of speech is largely determined by the faith or lack of it in ourselves or someone. Faith in God and in ourselves is paramount in wiping off negative thinking and speech.
Like his Father, the Lord Jesus Christ was the living epitome of action of speech. Whatever he spoke came into being or came to pass.
l Prosper Tingini is the president of the Children of God Missionary Assembly. Registration in progress for those who wish to undertake Bible studies or train as ministers of religion. Contact 0771 260 195 or email: [email protected]
