From Revd Dr Mark Cheetham
Dear Friends,
It was a privilege to be able to take my recent sabbatical and to know that the church was in such faith filled hands, thank you to all who carried some of the load. I am glad to be back and in a catch up meeting I was recently reminded of how Jesus said ‘come to me all you who are weary and burdened, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my burden is easy and my yoke is light’. (Matthew 11:28-
30.)
Does the yoke you carry feel too heavy? Refocussing on what Jesus really has called you too may help resolve carrying too much or carrying the wrong thing; to assess this a helpful question might be, do you feel the need to ‘release your faith?’ I’ll let you wrestle with that until you want to talk it through with someone.
Sometimes releasing our faith isn’t solely about what we carry, nor is releasing our faith only about praying and believing, but it also has a lot to do with our speaking. It has to do with the words we say every single day.
Ever since the 1st century, Christians have never spoken just one language, represented just one ethnicity or lived in just one place. Translatability is at the core of the Christian story, theology and experience; God became ‘translated’ into human form in Jesus, Christianity’s primary source documents are in a language different from its founder (Biblical Greek vs Aramaic). Christianity’s translatability saw it move beyond its Jewish context and translate itself into endless cultural and linguistic forms, a process that continues today, allowing for immense diversity.
I want to think about ‘releasing our faith’ through our choice of words, the words we speak are containers for power, and they can influence our lives—for good or for evil. If we want God’s will for our lives, then our words need to become one with His Word. For example, after we pray for a specific need in our lives, it’s important and helpful to follow up our prayers with words of faith and say or echo what God says.
For instance, if you’re praying for your children to know the Lord, don’t meet with friends and say, “Oh, they’ll never come around.” Speak words of faith, words like, “Well, it may not look like it right now, but I know God is working in their lives, and I believe good changes are ahead.”
Our choice of words portrays (or sometimes betrays) our belief or possibly our state of mind, we generally speak what we really believe even when we think we’re choosing our words carefully. Throughout the Bible, we can see the connection between believing and speaking. For instance, Romans 10:9. It says, …if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It’s not only important to believe, but to also speak what we believe. Our words make a powerful spiritual impact.
For example, the Gospels tell the story of a woman who had “an issue of blood” for twelve years. She spent all she had on doctors, but her condition only grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she decided to push through the crowds, determined to receive healing.
Mark 5:27-29 says, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up! Of all the people surrounding Jesus, this woman was the one to get healed. She not only believed Jesus could heal her, but she released her faith through what she said. In verse 34, Jesus tells her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed….
Release Your Faith. I encourage you to begin releasing your faith through the words of your mouth. Find out what God’s Word says about you, then speak it out as often as your able, perhaps Psalm 19:14 helps with the rhythm of living this out, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Or maybe you need to remind yourself of other small portions of scripture, like: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4). Such phrases or practicing of God’s Word in all seasons of life help during times when things are going well and when life gets
difficult.
Every time we declare what God says about us, we release our faith and become more fully one with Him. And when we echo what God says, and do what God leads us to do, then not only are we blessed but we become a blessing to one another and build each other up in faith. Whatever you’re praying and believing God for today, I encourage you multiply your faith and release it through the words you speak. Study and learn God’s Word and begin to say the good things He says about you, because your words contain tremendous power.
Every Blessing.
Rev Mark