february Publisher’s LETTER
Introducing…’Words of the Word’
One of the most powerful tools in the world is perhaps the most underutilized. Words.
The first chapter of Genesis is the story of Creation. One of the key phrases is “And God said…” He created this most amazing world by speaking. “Let there be…” Also in Genesis, we read how God created man in his own image. If God spoke the world into existence with His words and created us in his image, what does that say about our words? Our words have tremendous power.
Because of this transformational Truth, we will spend this year focusing on ‘Words of the Word’ This month’s word is Intimacy. Since “love is in the air” in February, we felt it would be fitting to go deeper and talk about the depth of God’s love for us and our love for one another. “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 (John 4:12 ESV).
Each month, our theme word will reflect one of our team member’s favorites. While planning the year, each has carefully picked one special word that had deep meaning to them. That person will write about what they have chosen and why it is important in their life. We know you will enjoy hearing from our various team members each month!
As publisher, my goal for our monthly magazine has been to bring unity to our Body of Christ. Can you imagine how we could affect our city if we were all working together, somehow on the same page for the same reason at the same time? While we attend different churches of various denominations, we can come together and support one another. One way we can do that is to commit to using our words as tools to bring change and help others to grow in their faith.
Some words to consider:
Encourage: It takes very little to encourage another. Speaking kind words is always good, but speaking life means reminding others to reflect and see God at work in their life. “Let’s pray about this. Ask the Lord to lead you about that. Let’s find a Scripture for guidance before you make that decision. What if you wait until you hear from the Lord before you make that life change? May I pray with you now?” Those simple statements or questions can usher God’s power immediately into any situation.
Equip: Remind others that God has a purpose for them. Even in the hard places, He is at work bringing about His will. Our world rushes people into quick decisions, yet our faith is most often deepened when we choose to wait on God. Equip others by reminding them to listen for God’s voice above the noise of the world and the voices of others. Waiting on God can often help others avoid making catastrophic decisions.
Engage: Great conversations don’t just happen. It takes intentionality. Good eye contact and body language help initiate depth and authenticity. Listen more and speak less. Converse with one another, listen for the Holy Spirit to move as you seek to hear Him more. He promises to be our Helper! Let him truly help by inviting Him in to every conversation and trusting Him to guide and nudge our hearts into alignment with His will.
Words? How we use them can change everything! Join us this year as we commit to using them to encourage, equip and engage one another more intimately.
Baton Rouge Christian Life MAGAZINE
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