This is a great image I posted on facebook. I thought it ironic since I had just listened to TWO talks on this the night before. (Sometimes I think someone is trying to get a message to me.) ;o) Let me share these talks and what I learned from this and how powerful the words are that you are saying.
First, Dallin H. Oaks was speaking on what it means as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ to testify of His NAME. He talked about Moses at the burning bush. Moses asked the Lord, “who should I tell them sent me?” A Jewish Rabbi gave Elder Oaks some insight into this particular scripture (the Name of Christ – I AM.) He told Elder Oaks that anciently, the name of a person was the essence or nature of a person, not the “label” like it is today. Moses was saying, “what are you made up of?” What is your nature? It was simply “The nature of God” that he was trying to find out about. The word essence comes from the French (or Greek ?) derivative of “essen” which means essential. The Lord answered him by saying, “I AM.” This Rabbi explained that anciently when they changed their “essence,” they changed their name—Abram/Abraham, Sariah/Sarah, Jacob/Israel. If you are a witness of the name of Christ, in that sense, you are a witness of the NATURE of Christ. When you see me, you will know me because you will become like I am. His atonement sets us toward Him and exaltation.
I thought this interesting because I always thought Moses was wondering if it really was the Lord, but with this definition, I learned that is was quite more than that. I also learned that when one changes their nature or disposition (the essence of who they are), then their name was changed, too. Had me thinking about new names for those whose lives become more pure and why they changed them. Saul became Paul after a mighty change. Is that so good things would be associated with his new name? When a woman marries, she takes on her husband’s last name (at least in America) and that con-notates a change. Interesting to think about what you have done with your current name.
As I came home that night, my good husband said he had recorded a show on PBS for me. (Video below) It was Wayne Dyer. And at some point in the show, he started talking about Moses being at the burning bush and asking the Lord, “who shall I say sent me?” The Lord answered, “My name is I AM that I AM.”
“Now every single time that you use the words, ‘I AM,’ you are citing the name of God right from the holiest books. And every time you say the words, ‘I am weak. I am poor. I am unlucky. I am unhappy. I am sick. I am unable to attract into my life what you want; you are desecrating the name of God. God did not say, ‘I will be. My name is ‘I hope things will work out well.’ My name is ‘maybe things will show up as I wanted, but possibly not. ‘ He said, ‘I AM that I AM.’ You must be conscious of how you use these words, ‘I am.’ I am strong. I am well. I am content. Even if your senses tell you something different. I AM……You’ll see that putting the words ‘I Am’ in front of something into your mind and imagination is a very powerful way to attract into your life recognizing your own divinity. I am God is not blaspheme. It is your identity.”
This brought me to tears. Here I had first heard an Apostle of the Lord testifying of the name of Jesus Christ– The Great I AM. Then I heard this and understood for the first time, that my own thoughts and words of self-deprecation were not just tearing down me, but were tearing down My Lord, My Savior, My Brother that I love so dearly. How could I have done this? How could I continually tear myself down and Him, too? I was heart broken. I would not hurt My Lord, but I would hurt myself. I had never made the connection that if I was hurt, He was, too. I vowed to watch my thoughts and language from here on out. I found some renewed hope.
And then a bright light came into my mind. In my lifevision, I have a whole closing paragraph that is all “I am” statements. I began to rejoice that I had spent that time to write my lifevision and try to think of all the things I wanted to be or believed deep down that I was, by stating all kinds of “I am” phrases, such as: I am kind. I am tolerant. I am Christlike. I am a good mother. etc etc.
The next morning as I was running and listening to my lifevision, this particular paragraph (that I wrote as a closing) actually comes up as the first one I listen to. I set it to Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus so it would be powerful. I was nearly in tears as I ran realizing that I was not only trying to become what I had written, but that I was glorifying God. I listened and ran with a renewed, light, uplifted heart. It had a whole new meaning.
I hope that after reading this, you will also think and ponder about what you say and THINK about yourself. What words do you hear in your head? “I am fat. I am ugly. I am not good enough.” Because you ARE and your are HIS, and He paid a dear dear price for you.
Here is the Wayne Dyer video in full. It is long, but OH SO GOOD!! Well worth the time!