Morning Affirmations

Growing up, as my parents drove my brothers and I to school, we would say "affirmations".  My dad would find what the Bible said about who we are in Christ and we would just say them.  It often became a competition between my brothers and I, of who could say the most and the loudest.  Then I became full of teen angst and would roll my eyes and grumble the affirmations.  

But fear not dad and mom, those days did not go by in vain!

As my husband and I take our three children to school each morning, I pray over them as we drive, and then we say our morning affirmations.  Some mornings it is said with zeal, some mornings it is merely whispered in exasperation.  In the half mile drive from our home to school, one person will say the affirmation and the rest will repeat.  

Yesterday  morning our daughter wanted to say the morning affirmations. They went like this, she would say the affirmation and the rest of us would repeat:

"I'm the light of the world"
"I'm the salt of the earth"
"Girls say this: I'm pretty"
"Boys say this: I'm handsome"
"I'm loved"
"I'm the apple of God's eye"
"We will go to Chick-Fil-A after school"
"I am happy"
"I am smart"
"I will get ice cream at Chick-Fil-A"

Yes....you see what she did there!  That little smart girl thought we would repeat that we would go to Chick-Fil-A and get ice cream after school!  My husband and I got a good laugh out of that...and after school, you guessed it, we went straight home! 

How do you speak to your children?  Do you encourage them?  Do you tell them they are smart?  Do you speak things that aren't as though they are?  

Our words have power.  Think about the words that have broken you down in life.  Those are hard to recover from.  Think about the words that have built you up in life.  Those are cherished.  I remember when I was 23 years old, pregnant with our oldest child, my mom was speaking at a ladies meeting and she said in front of everyone at the meeting "My daughter is strong and doing things at her age that I could never do.  I am proud of her."  That was over eleven years ago, and I still get teary when I think of it.  Her words brought me life, and when I feel weak I recall that.  On the flip side, when I was a teenager a boyfriend and I broke up.  The morning after we broke up my dad told me to come look at the end of our driveway, to the only water tower in town.  In that moment, I saw words that my heart has never forgot, in huge, bright spray paint for the whole town to see were the words "psycho expletive" (that starts with a "b" but the entire word was spelled out).  Man, that hurt.  Writing this it still hurts...almost twenty years later.  I hold no ill will towards the person, but when I hear the word "psycho", I cringe.  Because words hurt.  But words also hold the salve to heal wounds caused from the past.  Last night, my husband told me "I am proud of you because you allow God to work in you and change you,no matter if you like it or not.  You are selfless and put others first."  Those words are words that I wrote down and will think of often.

I would like to encourage you to speak good things in your life.  If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all!

If you don't know where to find some positive Godly affirmations, look in the Bible.  They're all over.  But below are some to start you off:

I am a child of God.  (John 1:12)
I am a friend of Jesus.  (John 15:15)
I have been accepted by Christ.  (Romans 15:7)

God leads me in the triumph and knowledge of Christ.  (2 Corinthians 2:14)
I am a new creature in Christ.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)
I have been set free in Christ. (Galatians 5:1)
I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God.  (Ephesians 1:4)
I am God's workmanship created to produce good works.  (Ephesians 2:10)
The peace of God guards my heart and mind.  (Philippians 4:7)
God supplies all my needs. (Philippians 4:19)
I have been made complete in Christ.  (Colossians 2:9-10)
God loves me and has chosen me.  (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

 

Start speaking life over your children, your spouse, your family, your friends, your self!  You will be amazed how the atmosphere around you will change when you speak positive things!