Our bodies hear our words

December 10, 2025

Maria 2 Timothy 2, God's Word, Mark 11, Spiritual Warfare, Worry , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”
—Mark 11:22–23 NLT

After watching an episode in one of my YouTube video subscriptions, the top sidebar video that appeared next seemed random and not at all connected with the content I had just finished. Out of curiosity, I allowed this ‘random’ content to follow.  A pastor whom I had never listened to before was making the case for announcing God’s Word out loud. His point was that our body hears what we say, impacting not only our physical body but also our emotions—for good or for ill.

Citing Jesus’ teaching to SPEAK to the mountains in faith, the pastor counseled against talking ABOUT them. That’s when his message hit home.

I’ve described my issues, worries, and obstacles to others (and to myself) for years! Why? Probably out of a desire for some pity or empathy. At this point you should respond, “Maria, so, how has THAT worked for you?”

Rarely has bemoaning circumstances solved anything. Talking about issues often serves to keep us focused on them.

Thanks be to God, I recently put in place a way to change my meditating (or muttering as the Hebrews calls it). These days my daily verse to recite and ponder comes from 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV

I’ve reworded and personalized this declaration this way: Maria, God has not given you a spirit of fear and anxiety, but HIS Spirit of strength and energy, of love and assurance, and of clear, Bible-based thinking.

This verse supports Jesus’ exhortation in Mark to TALK to mountains—those we ourselves face and those in the lives of others.

So, today, instead of lamenting my mountains, I’m choosing to address them directly. I’m declaring out loud: “Be gone, mountain of sleeplessness. Be gone, stress and anxiety. You can count on God.”

I’m applying this principle to friends, family, and the world as well. “Be gone, cancer! Be gone, fear of children going off the rails! Be gone, evil traffickers of women and children! Be gone, corrupt and destructive leadership that holds their people captive! Be gone, Satan, and you foul fellow spirits!”

When my words emerge from Bible-based sound thinking, they hold power. After all, God SPOKE the world into creation, and we have been made in His image. Our words matter. And our bodies are listening.

Does Jesus trust you?

November 17, 2023

Maria 2 Timothy 2, Evangelism, John 2 , , , 2 Comments

Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. John 2:23-24 NLT

We encounter people every day, when we are out and about, who say they believe in God.  But if you probe a bit, you quickly find out that they believe in ‘a God’, that there is something or someone supernatural called God.  But that is as far as they go.

As Mike often points out, in any worthwhile discussion we must start by defining our terms. We ask, therefore: ‘What do you mean by God?  Who is God to you?’ and ‘What do you mean by ‘believe in’? What does that look like in your life?’

I have those kinds of conversations regularly.  But they all tend to be one-directional, about whether A PERSON believes God, trusts God. The issue regularly centers on what kind of relationship someone has with God….. from his point of view.

But I don’t think I’ve pondered more than a split second the question of whether Jesus trusts me?  Whether he knows that I am worthy of his confidence, someone he can count on. Being honest and generous with myself, I probably live 50 % of my day committed to God, counting on him to come through and taking him at his word.  Those hours (not all consecutive) of my day, I DO actually believe that his promises are valid, true and legit and that I can apply them for the day’s very specific and actual needs.

So, with a ‘mercy’ grade of 50% (which is way below a failing F), I confront the question of whether the Son actually evaluates me as trustworthy.

If I were to make a case on my behalf, I would point out, in my defense, Jesus’ disciples: ‘Well, look at them! What about them? They deserted you, every single one. Furthermore, Peter even denied knowing you. And Thomas refused to believe the testimony of his 10 closest male friends when they said they had seen the risen Jesus’.

I bet Jesus wouldn’t even ‘go there’. He’d ignore my point about his guys.  Because, the good news is that he knows about all people. He knows that I can’t be counted on.  Were he a normal human being, he’d be justified in not trusting me.  But he has YOU and me, grace upon grace.  We don’t have to count on ourselves being trustworthy. Because we won’t be, consistently.

If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful. Christ cannot deny who he is.” 2 Timothy 2:13 CEV

So, I’m off the hook.  Nevertheless, I WANT to please Jesus. I WANT to prove that I am someone he can trust.  For those who think grace might be too risky and totally lacking rational thought for God to offer, since we ‘might’ just go on sinning all the more, I will counter with the reality of my life and that of many other authentic, but very wobbly believers I know.  The real Christian is a child, a man, a woman who gasps at the offer of undeserved favor. Then gradually as he comes better to know Christ, he starts to long to please the gift-giver out of ever increasing holy and wondrous awe.