photo credit: Steve A Johnson via photopin cc

When I was  growing up and would get in trouble for arguing, my teachers and parents always said “You don’t have to have the last word!”  As a kid, having the last word meant everything, it meant that you won!  As you get older, you’re supposed to mature and realize that “you don’t have to have the last word”.  Well, I’m older…I’ve matured…kind of (I’m still a kid at heart kinda guy!), but I still have to have the last word, and I believe that you must have the last word too!

Let me explain with the well-known story from the Bible, “David and Goliath”.  The whole story can be found in 1Sam. 17, but I’d like to highlight the part, right before they go at it:
1 Samuel 17:41-47 NIV
[42] He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. [43] He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. [44] “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals! ”

Fair enough huh?  Goliath was walking toward David, taunts him, and declares that David will be the next meal of some wild animals.

But what David says in response is AWESOME!

45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. [47] All those gath­ered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the bat­tle is the Lord ’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Did you catch that?  Goliath tosses 2 negative phrases at David, and instead of him allowing Goliath to have the last word, David rebutted with over 100 words!  And these aren’t just words, but graphic threats and boasting!  Let me remind you, at this time David was just a teenager.  I can hear him now in Scrappy Doo’s “let me at him, I’ll splat him” voice, saying “oh yea?…well i’m not just going to knock you down, but I’m gonna cut your head off!  Yea…and then…I’m gonna…I’m gonna to feed your whole army to the animals!  And then…and then…”  Now, that’s what I call having the last word…or words! Lol!

Besides declaring the he was coming in God’s name and strength, I believe that David had to “have the last word” for himself!  Remember, this is the same David that “encouraged himself in the Lord”.  David understood the power of words and building himself up with your words!

So here’s the application.  When you hear negative words YOU must override them by speaking something positive that empowers you!  Why? Because words have weight!  The Bible says “faith comes by hearing”.  What that means is that, what you continually hear, you will begin to believe!  So if someone speaks anything negative over your life, make sure they don’t have the last word, by countering it with what God says about you!

Now, I have matured to the point that I’ve realized that it’s not always wise to have the last word in front of the other person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still “technically” have the last word.  What I mean is, the important thing is not “putting the other person in their place”, but rather “guarding your heart!”  If you must walk away, walk away speaking and proclaiming the “last word” over your life!  And don’t think that no one is listening, because the most important person is listening…YOU!  Your soul is listening to see if you will accept or reject the negativity spoken against you.  So speak boldly, speak confidently!

You see, you may not be able to control what others say, but you sure can choose what you say, which determines the “last word”, which ultimately determines what you will believe.

So the next time you hear something negative spoken against you, be like David and override that junk by unleashing  over 100 empowering words!  If you want to slay some giants in your life, you must have the last word!

Cheers to your Good Life!