A few years ago, I was introduced to a simple idea. I think it was through Carol Tuttle's book, Remembering Wholeness. She pointed out that any time we use the words "I am", that we should choose carefully the words that follow, because the words that come next, are what we believe about ourselves, and what ultimately becomes our reality. So, if we often claim, "I am stupid," stupidity will become our reality. Yikes! The power of words is more than we can probably even realize. I wrote a little about that here.
And so, the words I want to focus on today, are the words, "I am." What do they really mean? The phrase "I Am that I Am," comes to mind. So, I thought I'd try to find out what that really means. When Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to the children of Israel, God replied, "I AM THAT I AM. Say I AM sent me." See Exodus 3: 14. What exactly does that mean? I am who I say I am? That's partly what I have thought the last few years. We can apply that to ourselves by saying, "when I say I am ________, I am _________." For example. When I say I am stupid, I am stupid.
Wiki says the literal interpretation is, I will be who I will be. Because asher, a hebrew word in the phrase, can mean that, who, which, or where, other meanings could include:
I will be that I will be
I will be who I will be
I will be which I will be
I will be where I will be
I don't know why that leaves me reeling. But to me it is God's testimony that we can count on Him in every situation. He will be THAT, WHO, WHICH, and WHERE He says. Wow! There is no one else we can really trust this way. In John, He tells us many of the things "I am." I AM the bread of Life. (John 6:35) I AM the light of the world. (John 8:12) I AM the door. (John 10:9) I AM the Good shepherd. (John 10:11) I AM the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25) I AM the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) I AM the vine. (John 15:5) And because He is who He will be, He simply is all of that.
If we are children of the Most High, surely He wants us to strive to be like Him, so we can know Him. And He has set the example for us. Do we follow Him by being that, who, which, and where we say we will? If not, why not? We don't have to be perfect today. But we can try.
We use those words "I am" so loosely. Do we mean what we say behind it? I think those words are very creative and when we say them, they have the power to create what we speak into being. Especially if we say them repeatedly. James Allen says in relation to thought (which I believe is revealed in our words),
In Numbers 14: 28, we are told:"Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law which cannot err."
Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:Please read that again! Let me paraphrase, "what YOU say, is what *I* will do to you. Wow! Makes me want to watch those words a little more closely. Especially the identifying, creative words, "I AM." So, I have been watching these very words very carefully the last few years, and changing my negative "I am" affirmations, to positive ones. Long ago, I drafted what I call, a Personal Proclamation. You can read about it here. I've also added declarations recently. These are just a few chosen "I am" statements of things I hope to create in my life by focusing on them. I have a card with them stashed in my purse, pinned on my bathroom wall, in my vehicle, so I can say them when I have nothing else to do.
The inspiration for this post, was a friend, who used some pretty sad words about herself. I just couldn't let it pass. I encouraged her. I searched for something that would convey the power of "I am," and I found this Joel Olsteen sermon. And I loved it. I think it describes it really well. Check it out when you have 30 minutes. It's well worth it. Click below the picture.
The Power of I AM
A final thought, I read this amazing talk by now Elder Holland, then dean of religion at BYU. It occurs to me that if we are truly to be what we will be, we must rely on the TRUE I AM. By patterning our lives after His, we can become all he means us to be. And we will be what He would have us be.
