PUSH BUTTONS
I WON’T DIE
“I won’t die” was all Charles kept saying having been a victim of the OAU massacre of July 10, 1999. Despite being stabbed with a dagger and shot multiple times, his spirit remained unbent, unbowed, and unbroken as he held on to life by uttering these simple, yet defiant words repeatedly — “I won’t die.”
While extracting over 20 pellets lodged in his body was nothing short of a miracle, what was more intriguing to the medical personnels who attended to Charles was his unwavering resolve not to die. Even as he slipped in and out of consciousness, his lips uttered the same declaration — “I won’t die.”
It is popularly said that “Life is not a bed of roses” — suggesting that life is filled with challenges, but I think the adage should be “Life is a bed of roses”, especially with the presence of its thorns. This is a perfect representation of the way life really is — It’s a beautiful world with a sprinkle of adversities here and there.
In times of adversity or challenges, our natural predisposition is to vocalise condemnations that align with our circumstances — echoing the negativity we “see.” While this is the natural response, we must understand that we have been called to live as supernaturals, meaning that any response that doesn’t align with what is promised in scripture shouldn’t be our response.
Am I saying live in denial? No, what I am simply saying is never to affirm that negative situation, and where you are not sure of what to say, choose silence.
It is important to always remember that as a believer on the faith lane, we are prohibited from living as victims. This is because within us lies the power over life and death — the very words we speak.
Here is what King Solomon had to say about the power of words:
[20] A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. [21] Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:20–21 NKJV).
By exercising the power of your words, you can become the most prosperous man your generation ever witnessed, even if your parents, family, social background or your past named you Jabez.
Let’s talk about Jabez a little bit, how did an innocent baby become an emblem of sorrow? How did a little baby grow up to become miserable? You guessed right — his mother gave him a name that framed his entire life. Every time someone called him by his name Jabez (sorrow bringer), they were re-emphasising his identity as one who had nothing other than sorrow to offer. Jabez lived the entirety of his life as a victim of a word spoken over his life, until the day he decided to use his God given ability (his words) to create a new and pleasant identity — 1 Chronicles 4:9–10.
We have established that our words are powerful, but how can we exploit the power resident in our words positively?
“For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech” — 1Peter 3:10
To ensure your words are life givers, always remember:
Don’t be a liar: When you lie you not only deceive others, you deceive yourself too. Your spirit man no longer knows what is true, your angels no longer know when you are telling the truth. So decide today in partnership with the Holy Spirit to stop lying — even “harmless” or “white” lies.
“Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, Is the man who deceives his neighbour, And says, “I was only joking!” — Proverbs 26:18–19(NKJV).
Speak no evil: This includes gossiping, backbiting, bearing false witness, cursing, being verbally abusive. Always find something good to say about anyone and everyone — except the devil of course 🌚🌚.
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” — Ephesians 4:29 (KJV).
Study God’s word: Studying God’s word enriches the bank of your heart, your thoughts are rewired to only good thoughts, and if your thoughts are sanitised, your words will become a subject of your thoughts.
‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” — Luke 6:45 (NKJV).
Stay Praying: You can never use your words carelessly when you pray — especially when you pray in the holy ghost. When you pray you also cash out of your word bank resident in your heart.
If it is true that the world was framed by the word of God, and God places a premium on His word over His name, then maybe we should too.
Today is a good day to place a premium on your words, and speak life over everything that appears dead or seems impossible, also remember to choose silence above speaking carelessly.
It is a good time to re-listen to the Helmsman and Now Faith by Pastor Dami Oguntunde.
Have a great week 🤗🤗🤗
Oluwajuwon Abolarin
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.
