Search for Identity - 5

Yesterday, we viewed signs of a healthy and positive self esteem. Today we look at persons with low self-esteem:
Consider themselves lost, unworthy of being cared for.
Are poor risk takers.
Operate out of a fear of rejection.
Are typically unassertive in their behavior with others.
Are fearful of conflict with others.
Are hungry for the approval of others.
Are poor problem solvers.
Are fraught with irrational beliefs and have a tendency to think irrationally.
Are susceptible to all kinds of fears.
Have a tendency to become emotionally stuck and immobilized.
Have a poor "track record" in school or on the job; conversely, they sometimes over compensate and become over-achievers.
Are unable to affirm or to reinforce themselves positively.
Are unable to make an honest assessment of their strengths, qualities, and good points; they find it difficult to accept compliments or recognition from others.
Have poorly defined self-identities with a tendency to be chameleons in order to fit in with others.
Are insecure, anxious, and nervous when they are with others.
Often become overcome with anger about their status in life and are likely to have chronic hostility or chronic depression.
Are easily overcome with despair and depression when they experience a setback or loss in their lives.
Have a tendency to overreact and become de-energized by resentment, anger, and the desire for revenge against those whom they believe have not fully accepted them.
Fulfill roles in their families of origin that are counter-productive and maladaptive. These roles carry over into their adult lives.
Are vulnerable to mental health problems and have a propensity to use addictive behavior to medicate their hurt and pain. Such addictive behavior can include alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, shopping, smoking, workaholism, or the search for excitement, truth, wisdom, and a guru with an easy guide to the achievement of happiness.

Sometimes a close friend can help you evaluate yourself more realistically.

Search for Identity - 4

What does a person with a healthy self esteem look like?

People with a healthy self-esteem:
$ Hold themselves as worthy to be loved and to love others, worthy to be cared for and to care for others, worthy to be nurtured and to nurture others, worthy to be touched and supported and to touch and support others, worthy to be listened to and to listen to others, worthy to be recognized and to recognize others, worthy to be encouraged and to encourage others, worthy to be reinforced as "good" people and to recognize others as "good" people.

$ Have a productive personality; they have achieved success to the best of their ability in school, work, and society.

$ Are capable of being creative, imaginative problem solvers; of being risk takers, optimistic in their approach to life and in the attainment of their personal goals.

$ Are leaders and are skillful in dealing with people. They are neither too independent nor too dependent on others. They have the ability to size up a relationship and adjust to the demands of the interaction.

$ Have a healthy self-concept. Their perception of themselves is in synchrony with the picture of themselves they project to others.

$ Are able to state clearly who they are, what their future potential is, and to what they are committed in life. They are able to declare what they deserve to receive in their lifetime.

$ Are able to accept the responsibility for and consequences of their actions. They do not resort to shifting the blame or using others as scapegoats for actions that have resulted in a negative outcome.

$ Are altruistic. They have a legitimate concern for the welfare of others. They are not self-centered or egotistical in their outlook on life. They do not take on the responsibility for others in an over-responsible way. They help others accept the responsibility for their own actions. They are, however, always ready to help anyone who legitimately needs assistance or guidance.

$ Have healthy coping skills. They are able to handle the stresses in their lives in a productive way. They are able to put the problems, concerns, issues, and conflicts that come their way into perspective. They are able to keep their lives in perspective without becoming too idealistic or too morose. They are survivors in the healthiest sense of the word. They have a good sense of humor and are able to keep a balance of work and fun in their lives.

$ Look to the future with excitement, a sense of adventure and optimism. They recognize their potential for success and visualize their success in the future. They have dreams, aspirations, and hopes for the future.

$ They are goal-oriented with a sense of balance in working toward their goals. They know from where they have come, where they are now, and where they are going.

Serch for Identity - 3

We’re looking at the topic of healthy self esteem. Some would say “self esteem” is not in the Bible so don't spend any time on the topic.

The words aren’t but the concept is. “Made in God’s image.” That is one example. Another: satan tempted Christ three times after his 40-day fast. Two of those times he said to Christ, “If you are the son of God,” questioning Christ’s identity.

Today we grapple with a conundrum:
Good self confidence and self esteem comes from a decreased focus on the self (less self consciousness), and most self -help approaches increase that focus. They literally lock you in Self Help Hell. The harder you try to improve your confidence, the worse you feel.

We’ll endeavor to walk that fine line throughout these posts, better understanding self yet plumbing the depths of knowing who we are from God’s perspective. Seeing more deeply the “Created in God’s image” and how that relates to caring about other people.
Hang with me the next few weeks as we explore one of the four most important aspects of successful living.
1. A heart and life committed to following Jesus.
2. Appropriately handling issues of anger.
3. Building healthy self esteem; and
4. Growing in self discipline.

Search for Identity - part 2

What Does Your "internal Voice" Say To You?

Our past experiences, even the things we don't usually think about, are all alive and active in our daily life in the form of an Internal Voice. Although most people do not "hear" this voice in the same way they would a spoken one, in many ways it acts in a similar way, constantly repeating those original messages to us dating all the way back to early childhood – some say even into the womb.

For people with healthy self-esteem the messages of the inner voice are positive and reassuring. For people with low self-esteem, the inner voice becomes a harsh inner critic, constantly criticizing, punishing, and belittling their accomplishments – either seeking for recognition or approval or possibly seeking for seclution, life is too painful.

Let’s examine this more closely.. How do we think positively of ourselves when other people keep telling us that we are "selfish," "stupid," or "dysfunctional"? Exposure to frequent negative labeling or name-calling from parents or peers can help cause us to internalize those messages, creating our negative “inner voice.”

Possibly your mother was very controlling and dominating. The subtle voice that came through was, “Son, you’re not capable enough to handle life, I’ve got to control and dominate to take care of you.. The resulting inner voice is, “I’m not good enough,” often producing a passive child – “others will do for me.” Or, the other extreme, the aggressive type A, out to prove to the world that he is capable.

Possibly your dad was concerned about "being the best," making a lot of money, and "having the best." You inner dad voice is intolerant of failure and accustomed to hearing the words "stupid" or "idiot" whenever you didn't do something perfectly. Possibly you’ve been labeled "lazy," "bad," or "selfish." How loudly does your inner voice speak to you? How does it conflict with what God says about you and what your real self knows about you?

The inner voice can be so subtle. I’ve just finished a round of speech therapy. The disintegration of my Parkinson’s Disease and subsequent medication really kicked the life long pattern of stuttering into high gear. Pride had to be swallowed and I sought help. In my journaling as part of the therapy, I came in contact with an inner voice I hadn’t “heard” before. “If you stutter, people will see you as a blemished product. Don’t stutter.” So I fought (fight) it, causing more stress which exacerbated the stuttering.

Susan is a good example of what we’re discussing. She had been sent to my counseling office by her doctor. Sitting there in her drab blue hospital garb, fidgety,wild-eyed and heavily sedated, she said, “Three years of mediction hasn’t helped my problem.” She elaborated on the struggle she had just to live mostly because of an abusive father. Counseling revealed a very accusing inner voice.

Once she understood that self-expectations (and guilt) were coming from her internalized father and she could clearly verbalize them, then she could examine them from the point-of-view of her higher, more functional beliefs. One unrealistic expectation was, "I should never make a mistake. If I do, I should be severely--even eternally--punished for it." Another was "All addicts are bad people--permanently! They can't overcome this moral wrong."

Thoughts like "I am a bad person, because I am an addict" came from those dysfunctional beliefs. Once she was aware of these beliefs, she could accept or reject them based on how well they fit her newer, higher beliefs. For example, she could respond to these old messages by saying, "All people have great value--even addicts. I am not a bad person or a loser. I love myself unconditionally and am loved unconditionally--no matter what my past is. Even though I am not proud of all I did, I did not waste that time; I learned from it and could not be the person I am today without that experience. I will try to use that knowledge for my own and others' benefit."

That self-talk was the only thing that had ever worked to help her get lasting control of her guilt. (She was not a Christian, so tapping into God’s resource was not an option.)

Would it be helpful to do some healthy introspection to see if there is an inner voice triggering dysfunctional living for you?

Search for Identity - Introduction

I'm having a blast sharing with the men at Nampa Lighthouse Mission regarding the development of self esteem. I'm hoping to capture the essence in the next number of posts.

What comes to your mind when I say the words “self esteem” or “self worth”?

How you think and feel about yourself, how you value yourself - good or bad, weak or strong – is self esteem. It is your observation of how you are doing in the world.

Self-esteem is often fickle, going up or down depending upon what is happening to you. Do well in a performance and you feel great, but if you do poorly you feel terrible. To many, self-esteem is a variable, fluctuating with the circumstances. The poorer the self image, the greater the fluctuations..

Where does self esteem begin?
One’s picture of himself develops during childhood. Feelings of inferiority or superiority are increased by attitudes of parents, close relatives and by friends. Our image of ourselves is basically determined by relationships with other people. What we think others are thinking of us determines what we think of ourselves.

Along with this, if a child is reared in a cold and hostile family atmosophere, he is likely to grow up believing he is not worth caring about.

Poor Self-Esteem Compared with Healthy Self-Esteem

People with poor self-esteem often rely on how they are doing in the present to determine how they feel about themselves. They need positive external experiences to counteract the negative feelings and thoughts that constantly plague them. Even then, the good feeling (from a good performance) can be temporary.

Healthy self-esteem is based on our ability to assess ourselves accurately (know ourselves) and still be able to accept and to value ourselves unconditionally. This means being able to realistically acknowledge our strengths and limitations and at the same time accepting ourselves as worthy and worthwhile without conditions or reservations.

Next post: the internal voice

Theresa and I are in Denver visiting her son and his family for the week. It is 82 degrees here today. Supposed to have snow and 28 degrees tomorrow. Will post again Monday after thanksgiving. I'm grateful for the readers of the blog and hope that your thanksgiving is a very special time. God is God and God is good - all the time - even through loss, which in His economy evolves into gain. Praise the Lord.

3 Stages of Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth usually involves three stages. Can you identify yourself?

First, there is the conception period. This is the development stage of our lives. It may involve years of normal work experiences. Moses spent years in the court of Pharaoh and 40 years tending flocks in the desert. Jesus spent 30 years living at home and working in His father's carpentry business. However, all these years were part of their preparation.

Next is the crisis stage. Sooner or later, God calls you into a deepening relationship with Him. For many, like Paul, it comes through dramatic encounters like being knocked off a horse, blinded and spoken to personally by God. Some people are more difficult than others to reach and so require this level of crisis. This is a time when God requires major changes so that you follow Him fully. It can be a time in which God harnesses years of experience for a new life purpose.

Paul's earthly experiences would be used in his calling to the religious and political leaders of his day. For Moses, the burning bush experience would begin his journey in which he would discover his ultimate calling after years of preparation. For Peter, it was his denial of Jesus three times that allowed him to face his shallow commitment to Christ. For Jesus, it was the cross. These were the benchmark turning points for men who made an impact on their world.

Last is the fruit-bearing stage. In it, God's power is manifested in your life like never before. God takes all your experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life. Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process.For Abraham, it resulted in becoming the father of many nations.

For Paul, it resulted in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. And for Peter, it meant becoming a foundational leader for the early Christian Church. For Jesus, it was salvation for the entire world.Where do you see yourself? Recall with me Ephesians 3:20: Glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within you is able to do far more than what you can think or dream of…

adapted from Os Hillman

The Power of Influence.

Just a quick bite of some food for thought this morning.

As I move from foolishness to wisdom I recognize the implications of my decisions on the quality of life of those around me.

The choices I make directly affect the conditions of others. My pursuit of personal pleasure may result in the suffering and pain of others.

Evil is consumptive in nature. When evil eats, others are starved. Source unknown

God Speaks - Am I listening

God speaks in many different ways to His children. The most common way God speaks is through His Word, the Bible. However He has used unusual situations. He spoke through a burning bush to Moses. Through a donkey to Balaam.

Through the Word, through other believers, through promptings of the Holy Spirit, and He speaks to us through circumstances.

The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, "Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you." - Ezekiel 3:22

When God wants to speak a very important word directly to us without interruption from the noise of our busy lives, he will take us "into the plain." The plain is a place of no distractions and no other persons. It is a place of silence. It can be a place of great need as it often fails to have the normal provisions we are accustomed to. It can be a place we go to voluntarily to seek His face, or we can be moved there without choice by His supernatural ability. More often, it is the latter method that brings us into the plain.

In modern times, it often means a separation from our normal activities such as jobs or families.The plain can also be a place where we discover afresh that God's hand has been on us all the time. When we are so busy with life, we sometimes forget that God's hand is still there, gently leading our path. When our lives get so busy that we are not listening or responding to His gentle touch, He must take more aggressive measures to get our attention.

Thus, the plain is one of those appointed times of one-on-one communication with our heavenly Father. No distractions, no people, no beautiful surroundings to capture our thoughts. It is a barren place designed to allow us to seek and hear clearly. When He speaks, we need to be able to listen. We hear much better in the plain.
adapted from Os Hillman

Wisdom: a Value of Pain

Charles Swindoll writes: I had lunch recently with a businessman who runs his own company. As we talked, the subject of wisdom kept popping up in our conversation. So I asked, “How does a person get wisdom? I realize we are to be men of wisdom, but few people ever talk about how it is acquired.”

His answer was quick and to the point: “Pain.”

I paused and looked deeply into his eyes. Without knowing the specifics, I knew his one-word answer was not theoretical. He and pain had gotten to know each other rather well.

It was then I quoted from the first chapter of James: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots” (James 1:2-4,Phillips).

There is no shortcut, no such thing as instant endurance. The pain brought on by interruptions and disappointments, by loss and failure, by accidents and disease, is the long and arduous road to maturity. There is no other road.

But where does wisdom come in? James explains in the next verse: “And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him” (1:5).

As I see it, it is a domino effect. One thing bumps up against another, which, in turn, bumps another, and in the long haul, endurance helps us mature. Periodically, however, we will find ourselves at a loss to know what to do or how to respond. It’s then we ask for help, and God delivers more than intelligence and ideas and good old common sense. He dips into His well of wisdom and allows us to drink from His bucket, whose refreshment provides abilities and insights that are of another world. Perhaps it might best be stated as having a small portion of “the mind of Christ.”

When we have responded as we should to life’s blows, enduring them rather than escaping them, we are given more maturity that stays with us and new measures of wisdom, which we are able to draw upon for the balance of our lives. By accepting life’s tests and temptations as friends, we become men and women of mature character.

Franciscan Prayer

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen

Taken from Philip Yancy's book, “Prayer – does it make a difference.”

All Things Work for Good, part 2

I just had to show you a pic of my newest grandchild, Ray's daughter, Bella Rose.

"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

This means basically that God is so supremely in charge of the world that all the things that happen to Christians are ordered in such a way that they serve our good. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword all work together for the good of those who love God.

So the rugged hope of the believer is not that we will escape distress or peril or hunger or slaughter, but that Almighty God will make every one of our agonies an instrument of his mercy to do us good. "You meant it for evil," Joseph said to his brothers who had sold him into slavery, "but God meant it for good." And so it is with every calamity of those who love God. God meant it for good!

The infinitely wise, infinitely powerful God pledges to make everything beneficial to his people! Not just nice things, but horrible things. If you live inside this massive promise, your life is as solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Nothing can blow you over inside the walls of Romans 8:28. Once you walk through the door of love into the massive, unshakable structure of Romans 8:28 everything changes. There comes into your life stability and depth and freedom.

You simply can't be blown over any more. The confidence that a sovereign God governs for your good all the pain and all the pleasure that you will ever experience is an absolutely incomparable refuge and security and hope and power in your life. No promise in all the world surpasses the height and breadth and weight of Romans 8:28.
source unknown

All things work together for good...

Paul teaches that when the gospel is preached, God calls some so powerfully that their hearts and minds are changed about Jesus Christ and they embrace him in faith and love.

The call of God that Paul has in mind is not like the call of a pet: "Here Blackie. Here Blackie. Come on girl." Blackie may or may not come. The call of God is like the call of Jesus to the corpse of Lazarus: "Lazarus, come forth!" The call contains the power to produce what it commands. It is an effectual call. Theologians call lit “prevenient grace – God reaching out to us, to draw us into intimacy with Him.

Therefore when Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together to good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose," it means that the beneficiaries of this massive promise are those who once did not love God but now do love God because God himself has called them effectually from darkness to light, from unbelief to faith, from death to life, and has planted within them a love to himself.

The reason that the beneficiaries of Romans 8:28 can have such certainty that God will indeed fulfill this promise for them is that God himself has effectually called them into his covenant and caused them to qualify for it. It is one thing if God sends out a mass mailing addressed "to whom it may concern" inviting all to the banquet where all things work together for good. But it is quite another if God himself drives up to your front door, walks in, picks you up, puts you in the car, drives you to the banquet of Romans 8:28, gives you the banquet garment of love, and then seats you at the right hand of his Son. Would not his own personal initiative in the second case give you a deeper confidence that God does indeed intend to pursue you with mercy all your days and work everything together for your good?

We deny ourselves such deep and wonderful assurances when we do not embrace the doctrine of God's sovereign, effectual call. There is such strength that comes into the walk of a Christian when he knows how it is that he came to be a beneficiary of this incomparable promise. Our confidence that all the hard and happy things in our life will in fact become the servants of our good is based not merely the fact that there is a promise in the Bible, but also on the fact that from all eternity God in his great mercy has chosen us to enjoy his banquet and has given us evidence of our election by calling into being (out of stone!) a heart that loves God—has he not?!
Adapted from John Piper

God's Unfailing Love

I’d like to pique your interest in a little Bible study this morning. How different the world would be if we all understood God's unfailing love.

God’s “unfailing love,” is mentioned 32 times in the NIV Bible.
Webster’s definition: “unfailing:” inexhaustible, constant, unflagging, infallible (incapable of failing).

“Love:” an intense affectionate concern for another; a beloved person.
Hebrew dictionary on “love:” chashaq (khawshak): to cling, join, to love, delight in.
King James Version translates unfailing love, mercy.
Hebrew dictionary on “mercy:” checed (kheh-sed) kindness, rarely reproof, favor,
loving kindness, good deed.

God’s love: forgiving, unconditional, merciful, gracious, aspiring, hopeful; does not fail, is not intermittent and conditional. “Matthew 7:11 tells us, “You earthly fathers being evil love to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Heavenly Father wants to give to you.”
How much less stress we would have if we really plumbed the depth of God’s love for us.

What is my part in God’s unfailing love?
1. Receive it as a child of God (one who walks in faith with Him)
¯ Clear conscience 1 John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
¯ Obedient (1 John 3:21-22)
¯ Open to receive
¯ Daily renewing the mind with His “unfailing love” words. Romans 12: 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

2. abandon self sufficiency
¯ self sufficiency’s focus is doing, accomplishing; ears are not tuned to hearing and observing God’s unfailing love, Zech 4:6 Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.
¯ John 15:5 “…without Me you can do nothing”

3. trust

** Time with Him to build relationship
1. Scripture: Meditate on, study, memorize. 2 Tim.3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2. prayer
3. journaling (Psalmist writing)
4. Replicate: Comply with the Great commandment, Mark 12:30-31 love God, others and self
5. Clean out past emotional baggage that would contaminate receiving His unfailing love; i.e. an unforgiving spirit. Matt.6:12,15 Forgive our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors…but if you don’t forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins.
6. Obedience in conjunction with love: John 15: 9-14 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

7. Evidence of His unfailing love
His presence
His availability
His patience with us

Dear fellow traveler, how are you doing experiencing God’s love?

Decision making

How are you at waiting? How do you determine what is the right road to travel? Several factors go into making a decision in a godly fashion.

Three come to mind.

First, information gathering, to determine the realities of a given situation. The positive and the negative.

Second, is the Holy Spirit guiding you in your decision? Proverbs 3:5-6 indicates that as we seek God’s wisdom, He will guide our steps. So, through prayer determine that your decision is going to be Holy Spirit lead.

Third, through gathering facts and prayer a decision is tentatively made “God, I’m going this particular route. If this is not of you, close the door as I seek confirmation."

Fourth, Proverbs says that a wise man seeks counsel. Share your decision making process with a knowlegable person you trust. Does this person confirm your decision?

God has placed others around us to be used as instruments in our lives to confirm decisions and keep us from the deceit of our own heart. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses" (2 Cor. 13:1b).

It has been said, "Write your plans in pencil and give God the eraser."

Male significance needs

"When a man knows how to do something," Pablo Picasso told a friend, "he ceases being a man when he stops doing it." The result was a driven man.

Picasso's gift, once idolized, held him in thrall. Every empty canvas was an affront to his creativity. Like an addict, he made work his source of satisfaction only to find himself dissatisfied. "I have only one thought: work," Picasso said toward the end of his life, when neither his family nor his friends could help him relax. [Os Guiness, The Call (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, 1998), 242.]

What happens when you lose your job? Do you lose your calling? Do you lose your identity? Do you lose your sense of well-being?

Yes, I did. Much of my life there has been a little boy inside shouting to the world, "Notice me. Approve of me. Tell me I'm okay." Trophies and awards were very important to me. I wanted to be "firstest, bestest, quickest."

Men, in general, have as a basic need, the need for significance. Accomplishment satisfies this need unless childhood rejection or disapproval produced a greater need than normal. Then, like Picasso, work becomes a neurotic drive success - that is never quite satisfied. Gotta be more. Gotta do more.

For three years after a forced retirement, this ol' boy was one hurting pup. But God used it to purge and heal significant issues within me that has led to a current joy and contentment with just "being." Though I must admit, the hobby of creating barnwood projects, is a real blessing. There is still a little "fire in the belly."

Men! Achieve. Accomplish. But learn (before I did) that relationships are more important than acomplishment.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not onto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Praise the Lord!

Judge Not

I was shocked, confused, bewildered as I entered Heaven's door,

Not by the beauty of it all,nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heavenwho made me sputter and gasp--the thieves, the liars, the sinners,the alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh gradewho swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thoughtwas rotting away in hell,was sitting pretty on cloud nine,looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, "What's the deal?I would love to hear Your take.

How'd all these sinners get up here?God must've made a mistake."

And why's everyone so quiet,so somber - give me a clue.""Hush, child," He said, "they're all in shock. No one thought they'd be seeing you."

JUDGE NOT (anonymous)

"I am" is all I need

“I am,” is the name Christ adapts, found in John 8:58. These simple words “I am” expresses the first element necessary in a God who is to be depended upon. No dependence could be placed by anyone of us upon a changeable God. He must be the same yesterday, today and forever if we are to have any peace or comfort.

But is this all His name implies simply “I am?” I am what? We ask. What does this I am include? I believe it includes everything the human heart longs for and needs. This unfinished name of God seems to me like a blank check signed by a rich friend given to us to be filled in with whatever sum we may desire.

The whole Bible tells us what it means. Every attribute of God, every revelation of His character, every proof of His undying love, every declaration of His watchful care, every assertion of His purposes of tender mercies, every manifestation of His loving kindness – all are the filling out of this unfinished “I am.”

God tells us through all the pages of His Book what He is. “I am,” He says, “all that my people need. I am their strength. I am their wisdom. I am their righteousness. I am their peace. I am their salvation. I am their life. I am their all in all.
“My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.”
Adapted from Hannah Whitall Smith