I am guilty of saying things that are not true. I don’t do it on purpose. It’s a habit. It’s a bad habit. I’m aware, but I find it difficult to break this habit. 

How many times do I say, ‘I am’ followed by something negative, like ‘I am sad; I am tired; I am disappointed; I am depressed; I am afraid; I am hopeless … ?’ The list is long. Is it the truth? 

God said to Moses,  
"I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:14).

Every time we say ‘I am’ we are saying the Name of God. We were created in God’s image, therefore saying ‘I am’ is as natural as breathing. 

Think about it. Is it true to say, ‘God is sad, or tired, disappointed, afraid, hopeless, helpless, frustrated, angry, depressed,’ or whatever negative statement we pin onto our expressions?

It would be more correct to say, ‘I feel tired, depressed, etcetera,’ especially considering that we are expressing emotions, as opposed to physical attributes.

Just as we have learned to incorporate lies into our conversations, we incorporate death into our speech. Here’s another ‘I am’ statement: ‘I am sick and tired… I am sick to death of something… I am deadly serious….’ Do you have your favorite ‘death’ or ‘I am’ sayings? Are you aware of how often you use these expressions? 

You may dismiss these as word games, and nitpicking, but consider that words are powerful. 

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences (Proverbs 18:21 NLT).

Remember that Jesus warned:

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak (Matthew 12:36). 

May I urge you to be aware of what you say, and do your best to incorporate life-giving blessings, rather than false claims or death in your conversations? Speak affirmative words to yourself and others. You will gladly reap the fruit of your words.