Insights by Vanetta Stephens

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STICKS & STONES | By Vanetta Stephens

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

This familiar childhood quote was said many times by me, and probably by you too. So, is this a true statement? Do words hurt?

What I have found in my lifetime is that many of my scraped knees, sprained joints, and bloody noses have actually healed and are quite forgotten. However, when something goes wrong, or when I make a mistake, I find I immediately can hear stinging words of the past replay in my mind. Literally, in seconds, I can be back in the past at the time and place where ugly, hurtful words were spoken. Here, once again, they spill over into my mind and heart, causing pain.

We all have experienced the hurt and wounds of unkind words. So the truth is, words hurt. That’s the bad news. The really good news is that there is something we can do about it. We do have a choice. Romans 12:2, states, “Do not change yourself to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking….” I have a choice to learn to think differently from what I have ever thought before. This is crucial to understand, so that I can take my Birthrights, bring them into my Earthlife, so I can experience the BIRTHLIFE God intended for me to live.

Romans 3:4 says, “God will continue to be true when every man is a liar.” That means anything I speak, anything I read or listen to, that says anything different from what God says, is a lie!

We may not be able to control the words of other, but we have a choice with our own words. Our words have creative power. We can create order and peace for our lives, or chaos and confusion, which is destructive. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God said he sets before us two paths for us to choose. One is life, and the other is death. Proverbs 18:20-21 says that life and death are in the power of the tongue, and that we will eat the “fruit” of whatever we speak. James 3:6(b), “The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it starts a fire that influences all of life.” This is a powerful scripture that reinforces the truth that what we speak influences everything we do, and everyone we come in contact with.

James is also quick to point out that there is no one who can tame the tongue (3:8), but that doesn’t mean we should not stop and consider the things we say. In addition, it would be good to evaluate what we are listening to, and looking at. They are speaking to us all of the time.

I am a new creation. Praise God I am NOT what I do, and I am NOT what I don’t do. I am a child of God, who finds some things easy and some things difficult. This is why we need each other. I can bring life and hope to you when you are experiencing difficulties, and you can bring life and hope to me when I am experiencing these things

Letting the Truth that all of us are valued and dearly loved by our Heavenly Father, in spite of our mistakes or our wrong willful choices, is the key to walking in victory over every unkind or hurtful thing that has ever been spoken to us. Since the Creator of the universe chose to love us, while we were still His enemies, (Romans 5:8), how can we not love ourselves, nor love others? We truly do have a choice.

I have been making some new recordings in my mind. Now, when things don’t go right for me, or I feel like I made a stupid mistake, I have the new tape that I can choose to pop in, with a new message to replace the old one. The old one was a lie. The new one is the truth! Now, I can choose to live without rehearsing my past, and in this way, it’s like I have a brand new past. It’s as if those ugly things were never said. But it’s up to me to put in the truth, and it’s up to me to know the truth, so the truth can indeed set me free.

The next time you hear this rhyme, consider that words may not break bones, but they do break hearts and hurt people’s lives.

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PEARL OF GREAT PRICE | By Vanetta Stephens

"The kingdom of heaven is like a man looking for fine pearls. When he had found a very valuable pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46.

You have probably heard many teachings on this great passage. It is referring to how valuable the Kingdom of God is and how we should be willing to give up everything for the sake of pursuing the wisdom of God. For a few minutes, just to BROADEN our thinking, lets think outside the box. I want to approach this from a little different perspective...

I would like you to consider for a moment that the man looking for treasure, or fine pearls, can represent God (or more specifically, Jesus).

God knew, from before the world was created, that the enemy would tempt the first man and woman to sin, and that he would succeed. His plan had already been prepared. There would be an appointed time for God to send His Son to rescue humanity from the clutches of the enemy.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16.

The word "so" in this verse means, there is no more. There is no more love He could show beyond giving His Son to die in our place, so that we could live. This is extreme love.

Jesus also has this love in Himself. We read in Philippians 2:6-8, "...who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Now, as we look back to the passage from Matthew, with the verses from John and Philippians in mind, we can see the picture of God, the Father, and the Son looking at the "pearl" of great value. I want to encourage you to see that YOU are that pearl of great value and worth to God. The value of something is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it.

You may be thinking, "Well that's okay for my friend or family member, but I'm not worthy; I've messed up too badly; I'm filthy; I'm too broken". I could go on and on, but I believe you get the idea. All of us were enemies of God. In fact, Romans 5:10, in the New Century Version of the Bible, states: "While we were God's enemies, He made friends with us through the death of His Son. Surely, now that we are His friends, He will save us through His Son's life." This is an incredibly wonderful verse. Jesus died while we were still hating Him. Dying for a friend shows great love, but how many of us would die for an enemy? Not many!

I know it's difficult to think of God loving you, especially when you read words that are all inclusive like "the world" in John 3:16. Truthfully, if you were the ONLY one that needed Christ to die for you, He would have come and done everything He did for the masses, just for you! I am praying for you to hear what the heart of God is saying to you. You are HIS Pearl of Great Price. He saw YOU, before you were even born.

Then, Jesus placed so much value in you, that He left heaven. Which means He chose to leave all He had ever known and experienced, and a truly perfect world, to come here. And for what? To be humbled and mistreated in every way imaginable to "buy you back", (that's what redemption means), from the enemy. He paid the price that you could never pay to present you to His Father as perfect, blameless and HIGHLY valuable. He wants you for His very own. He considers everything He paid for you worth it. He loves you so much that He has done everything, so that nothing could ever separate you from His love (Romans 8:39).

The desire of God the Father, and Jesus the Son, is that you see the value that they have placed in you. No one can love themselves, or any other, if they don't see the value. To walk in love for others requires you to truly love, value, and respect yourself. Note that I'm not talking about rudeness or haughtiness. Rather, it's the true worth and value God has given you. You are truly free when you embrace that, and allow others to be how God created them to be. When you know that the Creator of the Universe loves you perfectly and accepts you AS YOU ARE, how can you not treat others with that same perspective. This is why it is so important to understand that you are a PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

Know that you are truly worth everything, and loved dearly by God. Then recognize that God loves everyone with that same love and value. The outcome will be a deeper relationship with God. Worship and gratitude will begin to flow from your heart. You will experience a new-found freedom to be all that God created you to be; truly free to just enjoy God.

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