That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. —Philemon 1:6

Have you ever stopped to listen to what your mouth is actually saying? Do your words line up with the Word of God, which you profess? Have you activated truth by the confession of your mouth?

Paul said we need to say good things about ourselves. In Philemon 1:6 he prayed, “that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Let’s take a closer look at what he was talking about. Why would Paul use the phrase “become effective?” Paul is saying here that it’s possible to cultivate God’s blessing on your life not just by acknowledging it in your mind, but by declaring it with your mouth. God has done amazing things for you, but just because He did it doesn’t guarantee its activation. Just because a car has an engine with the potential to drive, it doesn’t mean it can do so without a key to activate it. It’s still a car, but it’s inactive!

The word “effective” is the Greek word energo and it’s where we get the word energy. But in this particular verse it carries a different idea; the idea of something that has suddenly become energized or activated. * Understanding this means the verse could be translated, “that the sharing of your faith may become energizing and activated.” Let’s go back to the car example. A car has huge potential but if it’s never turned on, it’s just a hunk of metal. The moment the key is put in the ignition its potential radically changes. This is like many Christians — they are filled with potential. Think about it! If God said all things are possible with Him, then we are sitting on huge possibilities! We are not hindered by age, ethnicity, gender or talent. In fact, God loves to use the simple things to confound the wise. But there are keys to igniting our potential, and Paul is trying to give us a key!