My mom used to say, “It’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to that matters the most.” The phrase has stuck in my head for over 30 years and has helped me to get over a few bad encounters in my life. I have even found myself repeating the same phrase to my own girls when they have told me about some “girl drama” at school. However, recently, I’ve caught hold of a much deeper truth and I’m coining my own “momma saying” – “It’s not what you answer to, it’s what you call yourself that matters the most”
So I ask you, what do you call yourself? Who do you say that you are? How do you define the woman that stares back at you in the mirror? What do you put after the “I am…”? If what we add after those two little words shapes our reality, we will do well to be mindful of the attributes that we use. As women we wear so many hats and play so many roles that we often define ourselves by what we are doing, or our relationship, or (gasp) by the label given to us by others. When we fall into this trap, we are left feeling empty, dissatisfied, and discouraged. WHY? Because we have lost touch with our true identity. We have forgotten that the I AM pre-determined what comes after the “I am…” while we were yet still in the womb. Therefore our true attributes are completely disconnected to what we are doing in this life and are intimately connected with Who has given us life. And if we want this life to be one of peace, joy, abundance, fulfillment, purposeful living and success then our “I am….” must sound like this:
- I am a child of God (John 1:12, Rom 8:16)
- I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)
- I am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21)
- I am strong in the Lord (Ephes 6:10)
- I am victorious (Rev. 21:7)
- I am loved with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3)
- I am set free (John 8:31)
- I am the light of the world (Matt 5:14)
- I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)
- I am established to the end (1 Cor 1:8)
- I am God’s workmanship (Ephes 2:10)
- I am more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37)
- I am the apple of my Father’s eye (Psalm 17:8)
- I am complete in Christ (Col 2:10)