Teaching Tuesday / Names are Important!
- Bonnie
- Jul 13, 2020
- 2 min read
Olivia, Elijah, and Janiah's end of school awards!
Look at the happy smiles on their faces! It brings so much joy to us when we are recognized for jobs well done! Words of praise and acclamation literally feed our thirsty souls! That's why Father tells us in His Word,
"Your words are so powerful that they will kill or give life..." (Proverbs 18:21 TPT)
The Message says it this way,
"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose." (Prov. 18:21)
Wow! That verse is scary to me. To think that with what comes out my mouth, I can give death or give life to my children! It's a very sobering thought!
Dear Parents, with that verse in mind, Names are Words!!! The names that you call you child is either killing them or bringing life to them! What you call you child is so very important!
Most of us know the harm that things like idiot, stupid, and dummy do to a child's self-esteem. (Yes, peeps, I know that those are very mild names compared to the slang and curse words that some precious children are subjected to, but I can't even bring myself to write some of those horrific names down.) I counsel people all the time that are still wounded by the horrible names that they were called as a child. Women that struggle with their weight because their dads called them Fatty when they were young, or men who catch themselves screaming the same foul names to their children that their dads screamed at them. I beseech every parent reading this to ask Holy Spirit to show you any names that you are calling your child that doesn't edify them. Any name that doesn't bless them curses them! Please. let's be blessers! You don't want your sweet child to be wounded by names that you have tossed at them in your anger or frustration. If Holy Spirit brings any of those names to your mind, be a SUPERPARENT, humble yourself, go to your child and ask for their forgiveness! I can't tell you how much it will bless and heal your child, and they will respect you more for your compassion, honesty, and bravery.
But what about the little cutie names like Sassy-pants or Chubby-bubby. Do you really want your daughter to be sassy or your little son to be overweight? Then don't call them those things. We need to be so careful with what we say. God has given us the ability to create with our tongues.
"You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you . . ." (Job 22:28, NKJV)
So, as parents, let's use our words to call forth good, godly things in our children. Choose names that "call nonexistent things into existence' ( Rom. 4:17). . . aka Mighty Man of God or Princess are good ones to start with!
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