I never did muse about the “terrible twos,” that phrase I loathe as much as the warning, “just wait until she’s a teenager.”
I happen to love teenagers. And I wasn’t so bad. (Right, Mom and Dad?)
And who’s to say that my daughter will end up like the worst teenager you ever strived to avoid? No. We ought to speak blessings, not curses, over the lives of others.
Sometimes, negative phrases are shared with well-calculated intent, but often they fly out of our mouths mindlessly. We say them because society generally accepts them as truth. Most healthy two-year-olds happily explore life on a day-to-day basis only to discover boundaries. Boundaries tend to infuriate the folks who do not expect them. Tantrums happen. It’s an emotional time of growth. (Oh, but bless the gift of growth!) We coin “terrible twos” to make light of an otherwise unsettling phase.
Such phrases, when applied too liberally, take root. The negative nature of such phrases sprout ugly lies. These lies wheedle through our “comedic” attempts and make unsettling life phases downright dreadful.
In other words, you won’t catch me saying “oh, it’s just the terrible twos,” because I’d rather look forward to, and not dread, each day. I’d rather take each tantrum for what it’s worth and move on. And I’d much rather look forward to her teenagers years with great expectations. Not as a chunk of years to fear.
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell (James 3:6).
If the phrase – negative in nature – is the fire, our minds are woodboxes. Is your woodbox filled with destructive fuel?
This is not to say funny phrases tossed around occasionally will set your life on fire. But negativity sure can. And if you are like most folks, negativity is the last thing you need in seasons already challenging.
Prayer: Father, we pray for positive outlooks in stressful seasons. We pray for changed hearts and minds that promote blessings, not curses. In Jesus’ name, amen.