Well here we are already at the end of the second week of the New Year. We always say the same things don’t we? “Where has the time gone?” or “Doesn’t time fly?” The truth of course is that time does pass by and before you know it, it is tomorrow. That’s why I am writing this now and not tomorrow or the next day. I have put off starting a blog for so long. I even tried to talk friends into writing one. “If you want, I can give you some ideas”, I used to say. I gave myself excuses as to why I shouldn’t start one, for example, “Who would read anything you say?” Actually we will stop with examples there, as that was always the biggest excuse. So here we are still procrastinating. I had better start.

I think the most important area that has changed for me since the beginning of the year is that I have started to declare God’s word out loud at the start of the day. I don’t mean just reciting scriptures but actually declaring, saying out loud, what the bible says about me. I will give you some examples.

1. God is my refuge and strength (Psalm 46 verse 1)
2. God is a present help in trouble (Psalm 46 verse 1) See what I did there… two for the price of one! Not just a pretty face.
3. I have the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (Philippians ch 4 v 7)

Now as you can see I have used different translations of the bible but it doesn’t matter which one. I always use the one that I feel most comfortable with. Some of the verses that I use are ones I learned when I was younger and so it comes from whatever translation I was using at the time. It doesn’t matter! The idea of declaring what the scripture says about us out loud helps us undo all the negative phrases that we say about ourselves every day. Things like:

1. I could never do that.
2. If only I was like him/her
3. Just look at me
4. I am too shy/ugly/stupid/fat/uninteresting/sinful/ashamed/
5. God can’t love me or use me.

Sometimes the negative statements are made by others – Parents/teachers/siblings/friends/spouses/children/bosses/co-workers/strangers

1. You will never amount to anything
2. If only you were like Paul Taylor, such a nice boy.
3. You are nothing but trouble.
4. Why can’t you just do as you are told.
5. You’re Fired!!

All the above statements have been said to me at one time or another, although I have to say that the your fired one was less harsh. It came in the guise of “We have been told to hire a person with special needs, so you will have to go!!” In the end these statements stay and have an effect on us.We actually begin to believe them.We listen intently to what our mind tells us. No matter whether people tell us how wonderful we are, we know better. You see those people don’t actually know us. Well that is what we tell ourselves isn’t it?

The bottom line is this- The only one who can change how we see ourselves is God. No matter how many positive statements we make, it will not change us. We have to see how the creator of the whole world sees us and allow the change to come from the inside. This is where declaring the word of God comes in. There is something about actually saying it aloud affects the heavenly realms and will change you.

Okay I need to finish today’s writing or it will actually be tomorrow!!!! Before I do, I have to say that the most important statement to declare is found in the verse that everyone seems to know, John 3 v 16 (the gospel of John which is in the New Testament chapter 3 verse 16)  ” For God so loved the world that he gave hie with yous one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God loved you so much that He was willing to send His only son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that if you believed in Him you will have everlasting life. If there was only you on the earth, God would still have let Jesus die for you. All you do is believe. Tell Jesus you believe in Him, and that you are grateful that He died on the cross that you can have everlasting life.
Next time I blog I will write some more declarations. May you see God bless you!