Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 2:16, Matthew 22:37, Romans 5:5, Galatians 2:20

I Am Loved

Give yourself permission to accept that you are loved. Love is God himself. Love is the transforming factor giving you life. Deep inside you is your greatest treasure, which is God, and God is love. Love finds love and multiplies itself in the loved one. God is love, and God cannot resist himself. 

Take a minute to breathe in the word love. Then gently close your eyes, let your body relax, and sit quietly with Jesus without saying a word. It doesn’t have to be for long; simply breathe deeply, speak the word love, and sit with Jesus. If you do this regularly during your daily walk, it won’t be long before you find a noticeable change taking place in your attitudes and behavior. Breathing in the presence of God is a miraculous undertaking of the Holy Spirit, and there’s no way to fake it. This practice becomes more personal as you continue taking these love breaks. 

You learn about love by living for God. He wants you to know him deeply, intimately, and personally. He wants you to think like him. You learn about love by learning about God. Nothing should stop you because you already have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Sometimes, it’s through tragedy and sorrow that you discover how loved you truly are. God’s love breaks through pain to see beyond it. It’s this life-transforming realization of God’s intense and personal love for you that keeps expanding in you. 

God himself has revealed the secrets of loving and being loved in Scripture. Only he and his love define love. The power of love is to know God. Knowing Him, we learn to see ourselves through the eyes of love. There are no other eyes with which to see the world as it truly is. 

Affirmations:

• The Lord’s love continuously draws me to him. 
• I do not confuse God’s love with human love. 
• God’s love is pouring into my heart right now. 
• The love of God is the very foundation of the world’s existence, whether the world knows it or not. 
• I dedicate my life to knowing and loving God. 

Scriptures: Colossians 2:10, Philippians 4:19

I Am Enough

If every child of God realized they are complete in Christ, lacking nothing, how happy we’d be as a universal family. The world would see us completely differently. We wouldn’t be people who place our unmet needs and insecurities on the lap of an indifferent world. We’d have no demands on others to fill what’s missing in us. We’d be content. Our entire approach to life would hold the sheen of confidence. We’d be what it means to be people of faith. 

The negative feeling that we aren’t enough is insidious, evident in faultfinding, habitual dissatisfaction, bad tempers, and addictive behaviors like overeating, the use of pornography, and drug and alcohol abuse. The deep-seated belief that we are not enough is part of low self-esteem, which indicates nonappreciation and abhorrence for what we are. Feelings of not being enough focus us on what we think we are and have not. 

The negative feeling of not being enough can be mistaken for shyness or humility. In truth, it’s ego-driven self-absorption. The idea that other people have more talent, brains, good looks, prestige, luck, or personality than we do is (brace yourself) absolutely true. Just don’t stop and camp at what others have. Open your eyes to the things you have that are completely yours alone. Stay clear of Public Enemy Number One, which is comparison. Put signs up all over where you live, in your car, in your pockets that say, “I don’t compare myself with anyone. I am enough.” 

Your journey of enoughness begins by taking a sheet of paper and writing across the top, “I lack nothing.” Then, write a list of what you honor and respect about yourself. (You’ll be adding to this list daily.) Next, write down what you’re going to honor and accept in others. No more wishing that you had what they have or do what they do. See yourself bringing to the world all that you are in Christ. 

You aren’t a wounded bird on a housetop. You haven’t missed the boat; you’re not missing anything. You have in you absolutely everything you need. You are mighty, beautiful, and strong in the Lord. You are enough.

Affirmations:

• My God has supplied all my needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). 
• I’m called to be complete in Christ. And so I am. 
• I lack nothing. I put a stop to comparing myself to others. I am listening to the truth of who I am in Christ. 
• I am loved and appreciated, and I am not missing anything. 
• God gives me all I need to fulfill my purpose in life.

Scriptures: Philippians 4:11, Psalms 20:7, Job 42:10, John 17:16

I Am Content

The greatness of God reduces my complaints to dust. Every day, I teach myself to be content. I remind myself of Job in the Bible, who woke up one day to find his whole world suddenly torn apart. God must have known Job really well to trust him through incredible loss and suffering. Without warning and in the space of a few days, Satan brought terrible things down on Job. They came one after another like bullets, including the losses of his children, home, property, land, servants, crops, animals, and even his own physical health when he was covered in ugly and painful boils from head to toe. 

The story of Job is a classic for every child of God because, through this man, we see with dramatic clarity the lower value of earthly possessions compared to the riches of knowing God. Job lost his children along with all his riches and honor. He lost everything except his wife and three friends, who made his situation worse. Yet God restored to him all he had lost and more (Job 42:10). 

Don’t lose sight of where you’re heading. You’re in the world, but you’re not part of it (John 17:16). When you find yourself embroiled with the endless pressures of the world, remember the world is not yours forever. You have another world prepared and waiting for you. 

All through the Bible, we’re told to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6), to overcome (Revelation 2:7), to rise above (Psalm 24:7), to be empowered by faith and the Spirit of God (Acts 1:8[HL1]). From Moses to Paul, we’re admonished not to put our faith in possessions or in relationships but in God alone. This is the key to contentment. With or without, we live abundant lives in him. 

Affirmations:

• I enjoy the abundant blessings of God every day. 
• I put no stock in what the world says I lack and continue to affirm the abundant life God has given me. 
• I’m content in wealth and in poverty. 
• Jesus came to give me abundant life, and being content in all things assures that. 
• Some trust in riches and some in people, but I will trust in the name of the Lord my God. 
• I take the eternal, unchanging arm of love, and I am content. 

Scriptures: Isaiah 54:10, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 21:12, Luke 22:51

I Am Kind

God tells us to be kind because he is kind. The Lord is good to every human being. We can be numb to this ineffable fact by thinking people have to deserve our kindness. The kindness of God is everywhere you look. It’s his kindness that delivers us from evil and protects us from harm. It’s his kindness that heals us, gives us courage, and saves us from troubles. It’s his kindness that sustains all life.

Jesus was kind in all he was and did while on earth. We might attribute his explosive behavior when he turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple to anger (Matthew 21:12), but it was an act of kindness for God’s children who were overcharged for animals they were required to sacrifice. It was not only righteous indignation that drove him but also his kindness. He cared about the poor who were being exploited. His love for the Father and for his children wielded the stick that day, sending the pigeons and ill-gained coins scattering.

Jesus was kind to everyone. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Judas brought a multitude of soldiers with chains and clubs to arrest Jesus, and they were especially cruel. Peter jumped up to defend Jesus and chopped off the right ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus graciously reached over, touched the man’s head, and healed him (Luke 22:51). You’d think Judas and the great army of armed soldiers would have been stunned by the miracle, but it went right over their heads.

We have a million daily opportunities to express the kindness of God because his kindness lives in us. Making a conscious choice to show kindness can change the very atmosphere and open closed hearts to God’s love.

Affirmations:

• The kindness of God lives in me.
• I am kind even when I don’t feel like it.
• I am kind to others even when they don’t show kindness to me.
• I am kind to those who disagree with me.
• I am kind to those who dislike me.
• I am kind to those who don’t believe as I do.
• I am kind to myself.
• I ask God to guide the kindness in my heart to take me to the places that need to experience kindness.
• I am committed to kindness in my home.

Scriptures: Matthew 11:29, James 1:5, James 3:13

I Am Wise

When we make decisions too quickly, and things go all wrong, we say things like, “That was stupid,” or “How could I be so dumb?” You’re not stupid, and you’re not dumb. You may have missed the mark with the decision, but that does not mean you are dumb or stupid. Often, we make decisions too soon without waiting for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we’re upset, angry, or impatient, we often say and do things we regret later if we don’t wait for wisdom. Anger leads to acting impetuously and never generates wisdom. 

Wisdom, an attribute and gift of the Holy Spirit, lives in you and is ready to be put into action. Wisdom doesn’t just show up out of the blue without advance notice and some prior work on your part. God will increase his wisdom in you when you ask, but the secret is to make thinking and acting in wisdom your lifestyle. This takes practice. Study the Proverbs and memorize the words of Jesus. Call on wisdom before jumping into your own resources for guidance. 

Wisdom is power, and it’s important for you to give serious attention to two vital points: (1) What is wisdom? Describe it to yourself. What does the fruit of wisdom bring? What are wisdom’s long-lasting effects? (2) What is the One giving you wisdom like? How does he think and act? Don’t confuse wisdom with cleverness. God’s wisdom is consistent and permanent with the stability of heaven, but human cleverness is fickle and erases itself with change and time. 

Wisdom and meekness were one in Jesus (James 3:13). The Greek word for “meekness” here is prautes, and it means “gentleness.” Wisdom is gentle and like God, because Jesus is both gentle and wise (Matthew 11:29). Wisdom is power. His gentle power of wisdom is yours. 

Affirmations:

• I am wise. 
• I practice wisdom as a lifestyle. 
• I make myself open and ready to receive wisdom from God each time I ask. 
• I work at being wise by quieting down and waiting for guidance from the Lord. 
• I am growing in God’s wisdom every day. 
• I am filled with the gentle power of wisdom. 
• My wisdom is a blessing to others. 

Scriptures: Mark 11:25, Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:13

I Am Forgiving

Here’s a challenge for you: for one week, set aside ten minutes a day to chronologically go back in time to forgive every person whom you’ve tried to forget but have not forgiven, even those offenses about which you’ve perhaps made the excuse that you should not have to forgive. 

This exercise takes you back to your earliest days and experiences that you don’t like to think about. We have all had some secret hurts, and maybe you’ve prayed a forgiveness prayer without being specific. Think of all the broken relationships you’ve pushed under the rug and not thought about for years. You may have unresolved anger stemming from earlier than grade school. 

People and relationships are usually what we think about when it comes to forgiveness, but what about things out of our control, like the denominations, institutions, businesses, cities, and even countries that have hurt you? Our hearts freeze up at false accusations, discrimination, unfair regulations, fallen preachers, battling congregations, corrupt politicians, and a million other injustices and crimes and the people who commit them. Tolerance and forgiveness are not the same. The idea of “live and let live” is far from forgiveness. 

Forgiveness is release. You cannot carry the weight of the wrongs you’ve suffered or the evils of the world. Forgiveness is not kissing evil on the cheek and saying all is well. It’s giving it all, being specific, over to God, and that way, you’re kicking away the evil others have done to you and the evil in the world and releasing it from its stronghold over you. Unforgiveness is like gangrene in your soul; undiagnosed, it spreads through your brain and every part of you. 

Don’t be afraid to forgive your enemies. They won’t be any less guilty. When Jesus was on earth, he offered and taught forgiveness for all of humanity. He even forgave his murderers. The only one he rejected was Satan, and you reject Satan when you release yourself from the grip of unforgiveness. These feelings rob you of blessings, healing, and even answered prayer. 

Affirmations:

• I keep a close watch over my heart so it won’t freeze with anger that I mistake for indignation. 
• I set aside my reluctance to dig deep for buried unforgiveness. 
• I release the grip of unforgiveness and hidden resentment in the name of Jesus. 
• I seek healing from the effects of secret wounds. 
• I am empowered by forgiveness. 
• The Holy Spirit is teaching me how to love more and how to forgive myself. 

Scriptures: Psalms 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 John 3:1, Romans 2:11

I Am a Child of God

The only one who really knows you in this life is God. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knew where to place the hairs on your head and counted them. There is nothing about you he doesn’t know, including your personality, intellect, and gifts. God doesn’t ask you to be like anyone else. He knows how you think and what interests you. He knows your talents and your dreams. He knows your past and your future, and he loves you unconditionally. No human being can make these claims. 

Is it a good thing that nobody knows you as God knows you? The answer is yes because God has created you for himself and then for the life he gives you. He’s given you a deep, deep love for his world as his child and has created you to fulfill a purpose on this earth. 

No purpose of God is too difficult or outrageous. Consider Noah. If ever there was a person in the Bible with a difficult and outrageous purpose, it was Noah. His entire life focused on building an impossible structure called an ark for an impossible reason. It took him almost seventy-five years of labor to do it, much of the project completed under the derision of his neighbors. God worked with him all the way, encouraging, directing, instructing, explaining what he wanted and how to do it, and Noah did his job without a hitch. You have a purpose, too, and it’s no less important than that of Noah. Romans 2:11 says that we are all God’s favorite. What God looks at is your obedience. 

Jesus said we can do nothing without him (John 15:5), and this is good to know when our egos jump in and tell us we’re the source behind all the good we do. God knows you love him. He knows you want his will for your life. Your heavenly Father knows who you are, and knowing you, he loves you. Be comfortable and at peace with the importance of your purpose in God. Begin now to affirm your confidence in your purpose and calling as a child of God. 

Affirmations:

• God knows the real me and loves me exactly as I am. 
• God knows me better than anyone, and I’m secure in knowing he knows me. 
• No one has a purpose more important than mine, and my purpose is no more important than anyone else’s. 
• I have full confidence in the Lord’s plan for my life. 
• I’m fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). 
• I am a child of God.