WHY FLEXING IS SO IMPORTANT AND HOW IT’S CHANGED MY LIFE
Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway. — John Wayne
The other day, a friend rang me to chat. It wasn’t a phone call about fantasy football or Call of Duty but rather, some of life’s crazy struggles. We talked on the phone about being anxious, worry and self doubt. All areas which constantly bombard me. I could tell he was getting bombarded as well.
‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ‘ Philippians 4:6
I quickly referenced this verse from the Bible. This passage and entire chapter has saved my life. I can remember waking up afraid of my future. Some days, I was so stressed I’d have lock jaw. Most of this fear was anchored in the unknown of my business and financial future. I did everything I could to regain my courage. Here’s what really helped me and the advice I gave to him.
Remember Who You Are
When I put the kids to bed, this is something I remind them often. I usually say to them, “tell me who you are?” The kids respond with powerful words like, “I am bold, I am strong, I am loved, I am the head and not the tail, I am a champion, I am beautiful and so on.”
This question posed to the kids is such a powerful question for each one of us. It’s a question I ask myself most days to remind myself who I am.
But, how do you know who you are?
For me, I look upon the Bible to tell me who I am. I don’t need social media or any form of media to tell me who I am. I’m looking for answers from the creator. This has been advice I not only give to myself but to anyone struggling with their identity.
Below are a few of the verses I post around my house and car to get my mind right and remind myself WHO I AM.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” — 2 Timothy 1:7
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” — 1 John 4:18
“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” — 2 Chronicles 15:7
Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Romans 8:38–39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Isaiah 43:4 “Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.”
Romans 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
1 Peter 2:9–10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
When we were about to finish up our phone call, I said to my friend, “you need to flex those muscles.” He quickly joked back, “mental flex.” And yah, that is exactly what is happening. As you begin to flex those mental muscles of who you are, it makes you stronger. The more often you do these type of mental exercises, the stronger you will become. Just like getting to the gym and working out your physical muscles, the same can be attributed to your mental power.
This is what I’m reminding myself today. I’m focused on learning more about who I am and what God says about me.
Have the best day. a.
