Life and death are in the power of the tongue. There is a longing in all of our hearts to receive affirmation from our parents. Whether we are male or female, young or old, we all want to hear our parents say, “I am so proud of you!” “Great job!” “You are so beautiful.” “I love you!” Unfortunately, many of us have been cursed rather than blessed.
The Hebrew word for “bless” is barak. It literally means “to kneel or bow on bended knee in order to express awe and value.” So when we bless we recognize the value of something. When we bless our children we are saying that we recognize their value, that they are a gift from God. We bless them not because of their gifts and talents but because of who they are. We are not proud of them because of what they do but because of who they are. In Gary Smalley’s & John Trent’s book entitled, ‘The Blessing,” it invites the reader to look at the life-changing gift the Bible calls “the blessing.” Many of us-perhaps unknowingly-spend a lifetime striving for this acceptance. Is this you? The unconditional love and approval that comes with the blessing is an important component of our self-esteem and emotional well-being.
A family blessing begins with meaningful touch. It continues with a spoken message of high value, a message that pictures a special future for the individual being blessed, and one that is based on an active commitment to see the blessing come to pass. As a father of three young children, I am consciously aware of my words. Our kids pick up on everything, from our language to even our body posture. I want to be aware that life and death are in the power of the tongue, so I choose to speak life over my children, my wife, my circumstances, over others I come into contact with and even myself. What about you?
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