My Affirmation

I attended a class about learning forgiveness. The instructor discussed personal statements of affirmation. He explained the we limit ourselves unless we bring God into real-life activities—all activities—and said he wrote new affirmations as needed to match changing situations in his life.

I struggled through the class to come up with something personal, something that covered everything I am and all I want to be. As I prayed, the Lord came upon my heart saying that I already knew my affirmation.

The Apostle Paul wrote it in his letter to the church at Philippi:

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4:13)

The Lord also challenged me to change the words around. His message lay on my heart: Paul got the statement backward. It took awhile to comprehend, to accept The Lord's will, but His divine wisdom triumphed.

If I put Jesus Christ first, then the Saviour empowers and guides me to accomplish my desires. And it is only THROUGH Christ that I know my Father in Heaven well enough to ask for my desires. So my affirmation is:

Through the power of Jesus Christ, who gives me strength, I can [do all things].

The beauty of this affirmation is its flexibility, its ability to meet new situations head on. Into the square brackets, I can substitute any words, including action items, heart-felt wants, ministries, and love. It becomes really powerful when I use power verbs. For example:

Through the the power of Jesus Christ, who gives me strength, I can change my eating habits.

Coupled with my belief, my affirmation has become a necessary part of my life. The simplicity and elegance cannot be understated, nor can the power and cleansing.