Why Affirmations work.

Google "Affirmations" and you will see many articles with titles such as:

• 11 affirmations for weight loss

• 99 affirmations for self love

• 62 affirmations to find your purpose

• 55 affirmations to forgive yourself

• 7 daily affirmations

and so on and so on. But why? Why are we being recommended to declare affirmations over ourselves and do they really work?

According to Verywellmind "Daily affirmations are short, written statements that are meant to give your self-esteem a positive boost" . (link below)

25 Positive Daily Affirmations to Recite for Your Mental Health

Affirmations can be used to encourage you on your journey, remind you of things you're trying to accomplish and keep you focused on what really matters. I have seen people use affirmations to stay focused on their health journey. Simply rising and calling yourself healthy may motivate you to make healthier options throughout the day. I have used affirmations to remind me of things I want to believe about myself : I am worthy, I am loved, I am heard, I am seen (etc.). This affirmations don't have to be something you've already accomplished, they can be something you want to see happen. Declaring "I am debt free" may help you remember to balance your budget or not to impulse spend. (In fact, maybe that is the affirmation that I need to add - lol).

Affirmations can be a practice that speaks life into the dormant places in your life.

For example, in Judges 6 there was a man named Gideon. He was hiding from other tribes when an angel came and said to him "The Lord is with you, O brave man". Now imagine, you're hiding from stronger tribes and someone shows up and calls you brave. I imagine Gideon looking around like "who you talking to, me?"

Just like this:

Brave was the opposite of what Gideon would have felt like in that moment. We go further to read Gideon saying "my family is the least significant and I am the smallest in my fathers house". Even when this angel is trying to lift Gideon up he is reminding the angel that he is everything "but" brave! Have you been there before? Maybe your friend was trying to encourage you or your spouse was trying to uplift you but all you could think about was the opposite of what they were saying. It can be so hard for us to take encouragement from others.

A lot of us are like Gideon. We have a brave warrior on the inside but we haven't let that warrior out yet. I want to encourage you that this is what affirmations do for us. They call us who God says we are not who our current circumstance sees us as. They remind us of our true self not our situation. Gideon was hiding, and you may be hiding, but your current situation does not define who you are or your future. You, just like Gideon are a mighty warrior.

So, affirm yourself however you see fit. Call yourself who God says you are even if you don't believe it yet.