By Froswa Booker-Drew
Thank God for quiet moments to reflect. I had the opportunity to stay in bed and catch up on watching some of my favorite folks on YouTube which included an interview with a well-known rapper who discussed his quest for personal growth and self-reflection.
As I listened to him, I realized that what he was saying was not so unusual but something we often fail to do. We do not realize the power of our thoughts and words. Words are powerful.
One of the comments that he made resonated with me. Instead of viewing tasks as something that has to be done, it is changing our view that we get to do them. It goes from being an obligation to taking our power back through the way we think, see the world and speak.
Every single day that we wake up is a gift and it is a blessing to have a job, a place to stay, food to eat and the list goes on and on. We get to make decisions every day about what we choose to do or not do.
So often, we give our power away to our jobs, family members, and situations as if they control us. Even if they do in some way, we ultimately make the choice on how we will respond.
The Bible says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” (Proverbs 18:21 MSG)
I love affirmations because there is power connected to the words, ‘I am’. In Exodus 3:14 God says to Moses that “I am who I am” and He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’”. The phrase ‘I am’ is powerful because it is in the present tense. It is not what I will be in the future or what I was in the past.
The phrase ‘I am’ is even more impactful based on what it is connected to. If we add words like joyful, free, made in God’s image, kind, loving, it connects us to positive attributes. It also should make us mindful of what we say especially when we say “I am” — We must pay attention to the fact of what are we connecting the God within us to our words, our thoughts, and actions.
I think we would take our words more seriously if we realized the negative power we are placing over our lives when we say I am stupid, I am worthless, I am not as valuable. Even Jesus says multiple times “I am” when referencing his identity. He doesn’t talk about what he can do but who he is— “I am the bread of life” (John 6:22-59), “I am the true vine” (John 15:16) and “I am the door/good shepherd” (John 10:1-18). Our words would probably change if we really understood the power of our identity, too.
It is amazing that in Genesis 1:3, God spoke destiny into existence. Every single day, you, too, are speaking your destiny into existence. You are manifesting your life by the words you say over yourself, your children, your future.
If you keep believing the worst about yourself and others, you will find yourself surround by it— the results you receive will affirm your belief. You also cannot allow the words of others to inform your destiny when they chose to speak negatively over you.
It is ultimately your choice to decide what you will embrace or exclude from your vocabulary and your mind. Your words can build your world or destroy it.
The Bible warns us well on the power in our mouth: “Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.” (Proverbs 21:23) Are your words condemning you (or others) or are they demonstrating that God lives within you? “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12: 37)
Manifestation of what we desire begins in our mouth. Change your mind, change your mouth.
Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the host of the Tapestry Podcast and the author of three books for women. She is also the Vice President of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas. To learn more, visit drfroswa.com.
