I have a not-so-secret obsession with quotes. I believe quotes have the power to speak into our season in a way that encourages and inspires us. Have you ever stumbled across a quote and felt like the very words jumped out at you and held your attention, speaking directly to you ?
The other day I found a quote that says:
“I am” are two of the most powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality.
After reading this quote I immediately thought to myself, “What words would follow after my ‘I am’?” I paused, and hit a blank. Then I thought to myself, “What do I believe and know about myself to be true?” I hit another blank; I couldn’t answer my own question.
DIGGING DEEPER
It’s good to have these moments where we stop, reflect, and evaluate where we are at with our thoughts and emotions. Often we are so busy trying to keep up with everything, that we get distracted mentally and emotionally, and we let seasons and situations redefine what we believe about ourselves. For example, we can go through a tough season and feel hopeless, insecure, and fearful, and without realising it we make decisions and live our lives based on those thoughts and feelings. Or maybe we get so caught up in doing so many things, that we are constantly distracted, forgetting who we are and what we are passionate about. When we forget who we are, and what our character strengths and gifts are, we don’t feel empowered to embrace new seasons or challenging situations.
WHAT WORDS FOLLOW AFTER YOUR ‘I AM’?
Would you perhaps say “I am confident; inspiring; creative; innovative; loving; encouraging; strong; courageous; more than capable; a work of art?” Or would you not know what to say? It’s okay to be honest with yourself, and truly reflect and be aware of these things, as it means you can go on a journey to rediscover who you are.
When I saw that quote, I hit blank and I couldn’t think of what I would say after “I am”. I have been so busy trying to balance life itself, that I have been distracted mentally and emotionally. I am glad that I saw this quote, because now I am doing some soul searching again and rediscovering where my strengths lie, and what my passions and talents are.
FINDING OURSELVES IN HIM
In this soul searching, I have been asking God to reveal to me what He thinks of me, and what He believes to be true about me. In this time, He has been revealing to me why He created me the way He did. This in turn made me realise what my purpose is, and what His vision for my life is. Knowing that He loves me and accepts me just the way that I am makes me feel empowered and confident. Knowing that He believes in me and my gifting and talents, excites and propels me to explore and express those sides of my character confidently and passionately.
When we discover who we are in God, and find our true identity in Him, we become familiar with all the details and intricacies of our personalities. When we understand His unconditional love for us, we start to feel confident, encouraged, and motivated to express that.
I am…
a child of God.
I am…
dearly loved by Him.
I am…
wonderfully made.
I am…
destined for greatness.
I am…
courageous and filled with hope.
I am…
stronger than I know or realise.
I am…
(What would you say after this?)