I Am Who God Says I Am

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” That is so NOT true, because words do hurt. Like me, maybe you remember those words as a child and your parents taught you that phrase so you could cope with your classmates teasing you. Ugly words today cause young people to leave school or even commit suicide because of “words” spoken out loud or verbalized on social media. Words can hurt just like sticks and stones, and even worse. The bruises and broken bones from sticks and stones will probably heal, but it can take a long time for the words in our hearts and minds to heal. The Bible says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). One negative word can have greater impact on someone than a dozen positive words. And, maybe it isn’t the words of someone else. It may be the words and thoughts we say and think about ourselves. Today, I was inspired by a song that Hillsong Worship wrote that encourages me with “words” that our Father says about us. “Who am I that the highest King would welcome me? I was lost, but He brought me in. Oh, His love for me. Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed. I'm a child of God, yes, I am. Free at last, He has ransomed me. His grace runs deep. While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me. I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am.” Back to the words: “Words will never hurt me!” The truth is that if we know who we are because of WHOSE we are, then negative words will NOT hurt us. We need to keep reminding ourselves every day about what God thinks and says about us. Not what the world thinks or what we think about ourselves. Here are words that God thinks about you (and me) and they will help us – especially when the enemy of our souls speaks only lies into our hearts. ** You are completely accepted. We spend much of our lives trying to earn acceptance from our parents, peers, those we respect, and even total strangers. But we need to realize God has already settled the issue of acceptance: “Jesus . . . made us acceptable to God” (Titus 3:7). What Jesus did on the cross made us completely acceptable to God -- no matter what we’ve done or will do. ** You are unconditionally loved. God doesn’t say, “I love you if . . .” or “ I love you because . . .” He says, “I love you—period!” We can’t make God stop loving us because His love is not based on what we do but on who He is. Isaiah 54:10 says, “The mountains and hills may crumble, but My love for you will never end.” ** You are totally forgiven. Because Jesus died on the cross and gave His life as a payment for our sins, we are totally forgiven when we accept the gift of forgiveness from God. Romans 8:1 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” God doesn’t rehearse our sins. He releases them. ** You are considered extremely valuable. There are two things that create value: who the owner is and what somebody’s willing to pay for it. You and I are children of God and “have been bought and paid for by Christ." (1 Corinthians 7:23). Jesus Christ paid for us with His life. That’s how valuable we are. When we remember that we are accepted, loved, forgiven, and valuable to the Creator of the universe, we will be declaring every day “I AM who God says I AM” and anybody else’s words will NEVER hurt us. Lord, please help us remember who we are in You!