I grew up hearing the stories of the Bible. One of my favorites was Moses and the burning bush. As Moses is tending flock for his father-in-law, an angel appears to him in a bush that would not be consumed by fire. Now this wasn’t something you see everyday, so Moses needed a second look. As he moved closer to the burning bush, God spoke to him from the fire. He told Moses that He had heard the cries of his people (Israelites) in bondage and He had come to answer their prayers. God told Moses to go to Egypt and rescue them.
Say what?!
Moses responded, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). He feared they would not believe that God had sent him, so he asked who he should say sent him. God said to tell them, “‘I AM that, I AM. And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). Moses tried to come up with a better excuse not to go. He told the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue” (Exodus 4:10).
Personally, I think those two little words are the most powerful in our English language. When we speak those two words, whatever follows, defines us. I AM is who God is. In this case, He is whatever the Israelites needed. He allowed them to complete that sentence to define Himself. He is, was and forever will be the fulfiller of our needs. That’s enough.
Moses spoke those two words and placed limitations on himself. Some say Moses was a stutterer. I don’t know if that’s true, but he clearly had some form of speech impediment that he felt disqualified him from arguing a case to Pharaoh. God humored him by sending his brother, Aaron, to Egypt with him to speak for him. But Moses didn’t need Aaron. Moses was fully capable of doing what he had been chosen to do. When God revealed himself in the form of miracles performed through Moses, Moses became more sure of himself and allowed God to speak through him. He trusted that God saw in him the true Moses, the prophet, the servant, the deliverer. The speech issue did not define him. And we all know how that story ended, the Israelites were delivered from slavery.
I am here to tell you that God truly is whatever you need Him to be, not religion, not church doctrine, not man’s opinions. Please love yourself enough not to finish those two words with a negative, always finish with positive affirmations, because I firmly believe that if we speak it, we make it true.
So, let me leave you with a few of my favorite ‘I am’ affirmations.
I am a child of God.
I am loved.
I am wanted.
I am capable.
I am strong.
I am beautiful.
I am one of a kind.
I am the creator of my dreams.
I am happy.
I am always optimistic and always see the best in people.
I am physical perfection.
I am inspiring.
I am a survivor.
I am a good mother.
I am on a healthy lifestyle journey.
I am prepared for and expect the excuses my body, surroundings, family and mind will throw at me.
I am a valued member of the TriForce Tribe.
I am welcome, fully, and just as I am, at TriForce Fitness.
Whatever you do today, do it with purpose and on purpose.
Namaste, my friends.