The Power of the Voice

I have been teaching in one capacity or another for over 30 years. I have learned in that time that the art of being a good teacher is really the art of being a good listener. In conversations with one another, if we are truly interested in the people we are speaking to, we are going to be listening to hear if what we are saying resonates with them. If we do not have a quiet spirit then we will not be able to hear the still small voice that guides us and leads us down the path of right communication. It is important to remember that it is not about us, but it is about the people who are around us.

To be a great singer you must be a great listener also. You must be able to hear when you are in key, when to place a note at just the right moment and with the right inflection. You must be able to blend with the other instruments and complement the music as a whole. In order for this to happen, you must be able to hear what the other instruments are doing, and with sensitivity, add your voice to blend perfectly into the music. When you are in harmony with the other instruments it is inspiring and takes the music to new heights. But if you are out of key then this brings discord to the music and discord is strife.

There is a correlation between our communication with each other and music. With speaking and with music we must listen. In music there is a time and place for everything and it is the same with speaking, we must be sensitive to when and where that time and place is. I am sure that all of us have experienced speaking the wrong word at the wrong time and someone gets hurt. Sometimes it is hard to undo something that has inappropriately flown out of our mouth.

The voice is the purest of all instruments because it comes direct from the soul. The beauty that comes from a great voice is amazing and inspiring. When someone has mastered their instrument it is a sight to behold, and so it is with someone who has mastered their words.

It is very important to remember when we are speaking to one another that the voice is meant to be revered, and unless we protect our words we will not live up to the potential God has placed inside of us. It is with God’s voice that the world was created, and it was also with the voice that the enemy of God brought deception into the world. The bible says in Proverbs 18:21 that “life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it eat its fruit.”

If we determine in our heart to be representatives of life we will have favor with those around us. The words we speak become our legacy because they produce what we release them to do. Are our words angry and full of bitterness? Are they selfish and manipulative? Or are they full of kindness and caring for the wellbeing of others?

Everyday each one of us has a choice to make. We can either choose to speak words of life to those around us, or hurtful insensitive words of death.

Proverbs explains it perfectly.

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but hostility covers the mouth of the perverse and ungodly.”

Proverbs 10:6 “Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.”

Proverbs 10:32 “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaks perversity and fraud.”

Proverbs 11:11 “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”

We really do have the power to change the world around us, and this is why we should guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it springs (through our mouth) the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

 

Self Control

It is our nature to want to do what we want to do. We are on a quest to find those things that bring us the most pleasure. But what starts out as a simple quest for pleasure ends up overtaking us and the desire or craving overcomes us physically and or emotionally. Look at a child when they want something. They generally throw a fit and go to whatever extremes necessary to get what they desire. If children are never taught self-control and the concept that hard work produces results, they won’t learn how to channel their gifts and talents that will bring fulfillment to their lives. It’s kind of like lightning. It discharges about 1-10 billion joules of energy and produces a current of some 30,000 - 50,000 amps; it’s three times hotter than the surface of the sun (6000 degrees Celsius). This energy is completely unharnessed, lost in space with no way to capture its strength. Everyone sees its power and admires its beauty, but then it’s gone.

Over the years I have known people with unbelievable talent, brilliant minds and potential who have lived a life of depression; many have been alcoholics or have turned to drugs. They were likely not taught to be disciplined as a child. They never learned to develop self-control and harness their potential to bring out what’s inside, and fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. An article in the November 2009 “Science Daily” says, “For years, the brain chemical dopamine has been thought of as the brain's "pleasure chemical," sending signals between brain cells in a way that rewards a person for one activity or another. More recently, research has shown that certain drugs like cocaine and heroin amplify this effect -- an action that may lie at the heart of drug addictions.”

In many cases, this tragically becomes a lifestyle and people build their entire lives to accommodate their lust. In the past lust has been associated only with sexual desire, but this is only a part of the true interpretation. The bible puts it like this in 1John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” I think it is interesting to note that the bible says “all that is in the world.” This means that the foundation of all worldly philosophies and wisdoms are these three things.

The “lust of the flesh” means the desire to indulge. Think about this, sexual lust is definitely included but so is every other physical indulgence that drives us – out of control eating, drinking, drugs, lacking moral restraint and being recklessly wasteful. It’s like an unharnessed free-for-all. It is our flesh saying, “More, more, more - feed me more!” When we have to have what we desire regardless of the consequences, then we are overtaken by lust. When we take a risk that could cause us to lose our personal integrity (with oneself and/or with others), then we are overtaken by lust.

“The lust of the eyes” is a different kind of lust; it is the desire to possess. It’s the “I see it so I must have it” state of mind. I think that we have it in our minds that success is measured by the possessions we have. We are overcome entirely by the desire or craving to have certain things. In some cases this is about power, the more we get the more we want. In other ways it is about lifestyle, we think we need the nicest cars, the nicest toys, the nicest clothes. We are convinced that “stuff” will bring us the fulfillment in life we are looking for, so we need more – let’s go shopping!

The sad reality is that in many cases the people that have the appearance of wealth really are strapped financially and are trapped, overcome entirely by the desire or craving to have certain things. And if they can’t go out and get those things then they may become depressed or angry. In many cases this is an attempt to manipulate their environment to get what they want.

This leads us to “the pride of life.” This is the desire to impress. This so often is why we do what we do; we want to impress others. This starts very young. Even in early childhood, children form social cliques, which can be instrumental (for better or worse) in contributing to a child’s self-worth and behavior. In addition, children may feel inferior if they are not able to live up to a parent’s or sibling’s expectations. There are countless factors that exacerbate the pain that compels us to impress others. As we grow older this becomes a driving force as we strive to live up to the standard that we perceive will bring us the status we are hoping for.

The interesting thing is that these three things are interconnected. The lust of the flesh could be driven by a frustration that comes from the desire to impress (the pride of life). For example: someone begins to drink or do drugs because s/he can’t keep up financially with a lifestyle of impressing others. Or the pressure is so intense that there is a need to do something that will bring a little (perceived) pleasure in the midst of the pain. Jesus said (paraphrased), “the lamp of the body is the eye, if the eye is tainted it affects the whole body.” (Matthew 6:22-23) The point is that if we are not looking at the reality that is before us clearly and honestly then it affects every decision that we make. It causes us to live a substandard existence, not experiencing the joy and fulfillment that God intends us to have.

This lifestyle has become the norm in the cultures of the world. This is why the governments that exist are crippled with tradition and pompous greed while their countries are starving and overcome with drugs, violent crime and sexual perversions. No one has the ability to solve the problem because, to one extreme or another, they are all gripped with these three lusts in their own lives. If our lives are selfish and self-centered then we cannot have true wisdom to solve someone else’s problems.

There is a way to be separated from the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life so that they are not the driving force behind our lives. This starts from the inside and it is a transformation that realigns our thinking and gets our eyes off of ourselves and our circumstances. The bible says that the beginning of wisdom is the reverence of God. To acknowledge Him and ask for His wisdom to guide us is the right beginning. He is our creator and He is the reason for our existence, so it makes sense to surrender to Him. This takes our attention off of ourselves and places it on the one who has the ability to solve our problems and give us the right attitude. It is simply to ask the right question and that question is “how can I serve you Lord, what is Your desire for my life?” The bible says to “ask and you will receive.” We just have to study the bible and surrender to the Holy Spirit and let Him show us what His will is for our lives. To do these things disarms the lusts that are the driving force behind us and it empowers us with self control.

I hope this helps in understanding the fundamental forces that are at work against us. I know this can be an excellent tool in understanding what drives the human mind. I hope you find it helpful.