I am a finisher. Jena declared this over me at a recent Best Life Ministries conference. Her teaching has inspired me to encourage all of us to declare who we are as God sees us, not the world.

I have ANTs. That is what Dr. Daniel Amen calls automatic negative thoughts. If I make a mistake, I will often say, “I’m such an idiot.” There is no truth in it, but it lives within me. It is common to speak negatively to ourselves. We tear ourselves down when we don’t meet perceived expectations. We have high expectations for our success, body shape, appearance, intelligence etc. When we don’t meet those expectations, we tell ourselves are less than, not enough.

Jena reminded me that God sees us differently than the world. After listening to my talk, she declared I was a finisher. It’s true, and there are so many more things that God tells us about who we are.

We were encouraged to right our own “I am” statements to remind ourselves how God sees us. She also encouraged us to put is somewhere like our phones where we can read it regularly.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body; (Psalm 139:13-15 MSG).

Mine starts out, “I am a finisher.” It goes on and includes: I am powerful, I am confident, I am intelligent, I am made with a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11), I am a mother, wife, aunt, sister, I am a teacher… We are encouraged to keep adding to it. Adding scripture references keeps me anchored in what God declares over His creation.

I want to lean into who God says I am, not the world. I want to reread this when life is hard, when I want to quit. I think we all can benefit from being reminded of the true creation we are.

Can you say, “I am a finisher?” What can you gain for creating your own “I am” declarations? Are you willing to make your own “I am” statement? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.