In the Bible, God refers to Himself as “I Am.” I love to stop and ponder that.
Okay, I’m not God and neither are you, but it’s still a great thing to ponder how we would complete that phrase, because how we identify ourselves is likely what we will live into.
If I asked you to fill in the blank, what would you say?
“I am _____.”
I am happy. I am fearful. I am excited. I am sad. I am encouraged. I am strong. I am powerful. I am vulnerable. I am courageous. I am weak. I am beautiful. I am useless.
I am not good at that. I am a victim. I am an overcomer. I am unique. I am blessed. I am unloved. I am treasured. I am not capable. I am a quitter. I am unlovely. I am amazing. I am too much. I am not enough. I’m the bomb-diggity (yeah, girl!).
I am angry. I am grateful. I am blessed. I am forgotten. I am resourceful. I am adventurous. I am hard-working. I am adaptable. I am stuck. I am unreasonable. I am bitter. I am intuitive. I am compassionate. I am a failure. I am resourceful. I am a go-getter. I am forgiven. I am dirty.
Who told you these things? Where did you come up with your identity?
If we’re not careful, we’ll listen to the wrong voices – the ones that beat us up, that rob us of all hope and promise. The wrong voices will keep us from pursuing the things that are on our hearts. They’ll tell us that we’re wasting our time. The wrong voices will say that we have no part. They’ll keep us down.
But the right voices? They sound like purpose and passion. They sound like forgiveness and restoration and possibility. They sound like growth and peace and joy. And life. Yes, the right voices sound like life.
How you identify yourself is the filter through which you see the world. Take some time today to speak life and hope over yourself, and watch your world change.
What about you?
What is the new “I am” identity you wish to live into?