I was reading my beautiful GraceLaced Devotional by Ruth Chou Simons the other morning and the page title was BELOVED. 

It lead me to think about how often we call ourselves different things. 

There can be a distinction that you may think of as just semantics, but I do think it makes a big difference in the long run.
“I am a Failure” ….Without realizing it, I am calling myself something, making it part of who I am. That feels rather hopeless, discouraging, or overwhelming- as in “I need to pull myself up by the bootstraps and change who I am”. 

“I have failed” or “I feel like a failure” however don’t put pronouncements on me. Rather it separates the event or the feeling from who I am. This gives the opportunity to explore and ask questions: “What went wrong? What did I do wrong? What can I do to address this situation or my feelings?” This feels more hopeful.

Going back to the heading of that day’s devotional. Beloved.
Now that’s WHO I AM. If I am loved by the Creator of the Universe, well then…. Do I need to say more? 

What are the names that you are calling yourself today?
Name the situation or the feeling.
Change the statement.
And then call yourself the Truth of Who You Are, in Him.

1 John 4:10 says this is Love: not that we loved God, but that He sent His Son to die for us as a sacrifice for our sins.

Photo by Erriko Boccia on Unsplash