Looking back over my life, I see several times where circumstances have defined who I am. I see things in my life that have created this definition of who it has meant to be Jared. I think about the amount of people in my family, and the people I grew up around who are or were overweight and unhealthy, and how it defined how I saw myself. I think about the innumerable times I was bullied. I think about how young I was when older kids introduced me to pornography and I think about how I was taught about finances, God, family, friends and more.
I think about all of this programming, some of it was good and right, some of it wasn’t. But, it has created my identity, and I am not at peace with what my identity has been. I am at a place where I can let that remain my identity, or I can decide it should be something different. I have chosen to change it. I will not let my past or even my present define who I will be. I want more than anything for the will of God to be done in me and my family. I want to be conformed into the image of Jesus, as painful as that might be. I refuse to let the shame that others have put on me, or that I have put on myself be my identity. Instead I chose these affirmations;
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)
I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s Kingdom (Colossians 1:13)
I am holy and without blame before Him in love (1 Peter 1:16 & Ephesians 1:4)
I am established to the end (Romans 1:11)
I am set free (John 8:31-33)
I am strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10)
I am sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)
I am in Christ (1 Corinthians 1 :30)
I am hid in Christ (Colossians 3:3)
I am a son of God (1 John 3:2)
I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am crucified with Christ (Galations 2:20-21)
And finally what I quote with my family nightly; I am healthy, healed, whole, strong, happy, and full of peace.
I pray grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to comment below, share this, like, or email me at doranjared@gmail.com
jareddoran 