What are you saying??

"My manager doesn't know what she's doing."
"My co-worker is a drug addict and lousy at his job."
"The youth don't care about Jesus."
"So-and-so has no respect for anyone."

Um, hello? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
God caught my attention this weekend about what I was saying in conversations. Things were flying out of my mouth without any filtration at all. Things that if I was really thinking about it, I would not say because that is not the way I want those things to go.
The Bible says to "call those things that be not as though they were." (Romans 4:17) I may not see a whole lot of good in situations, but what I see is not what is real. What is real is what God would say about the situation. God would look at the situations and say:
"My manager is full of the wisdom of God and makes wise decisions."
"My co-worker is saved and is walking in the grace of God. He is redeemed and delivered and realizes his God-given purpose which drives him to do his job as unto the Lord."
"The youth are awake, hungry, and on fire for Jesus."
"So-and-so fears God and loves people with the love of God that was shed abroad in their heart."

Which set of statements sounds more like what would be ideal? God's way obviously. So why keep putting words out there to contradict God's way, and create the far less than ideal situation (or reinforce it)?

I can't promise anyone that I will never slip up and say something contrary to God's way, but I want to strive from now on to only allow the kinds of statements God would say out of my mouth. And not just about others. Things like "I'm always tired." "I can't..." and "I am not good at..." have to stop coming out of my mouth. They disagree with what God has said. Colossians 1:29 says, "For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." His energy is working powerfully within me!!  Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." I CAN!!  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  I was made for anything God asks me to do, its not too hard, and I am well able!!
God has made His opinion clear, my mouth needs to line up with it. And think about it, don't you feel better saying the things God says versus what we've always said? It's because we were created to have those God promises operating in our lives, not failure, not defeat, not sin... but victory.

I would challenge you today to ask yourself: what are you saying?