Here are some examples of common positive affirmations:

• I am confident.
• I am beautiful.
• I am happy.
• I am enough.
• I am in charge of my life.
• I am worthy of love.

Why are they often used by yoga teachers, and are they "New Age" and something Christians should avoid? Not necessarily! They have many benefits and have helped many people feel better about themselves.

Some of the benefits include:

1. They may actually “reprogram” peoples' brains.
2. People may become more open to change.
3. They can help to lower stress (with all its negative effects on the body - heart attacks, strokes, weaker immune system, etc.).
4. They can help lessen anxiety and depression.
5. People can become more self-aware as they combat negative self-talk.
6. They help people focus on self-improvement goals.
7. They can improve academic performance.
8. They may help boost self-confidence.
9. People using positive affirmations may then become more open to other positive experiences.
10. Having a positive attitude then also may attract more similarly positive-thinking people.

These are all great things!

So what’s the problem?

It's their connection to two New Age teachings, The Law of Attraction and Manifestation.

I am not an expert in New Age teachings, but what I have learned about it is important to share. Here are a few facts about New Age teachings every Christian should know about:

• It is not a religion.
• It has no central figure or set of rules.
• It is a philosophy or worldview based on personal, spiritual transformation.
• It does not include a belief in God or gods but in a universal, energy field referred to as “cosmic consciousness” or “the universe.”
• New Agers believe in the divinity of all things.
• It dates back only to the 1970s and 80s, but the beliefs draw from many ancient religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Eastern Mysticism and Astrology.
• New Agers believe the “Age of Aquarius” is coming soon - a time of peace due to becoming aware of our "universal consciousness."

The “Law of Attraction” and “Manifestation”

• The "Law of Attraction" takes the general truth that positivity attracts more positivity and negativity attracts more negativity to an extreme.
• It teaches that your thoughts are powerful, so if you think positive thoughts, then "the universe" will reward you.
• Manifestation means that if you think about and truly believe something, you can eventually make it happen or become real.

The logical Conclusions for these New Age beliefs:

• There is no need for God if we are all part of one divine consciousness!
• God is not the one who heals us and is responsible for bringing good things into our lives. We are.
• If “the universe” is just a universal energetic force that is present within us, there is no reason to pray to it. We just need to learn how to use it to our own advantage.
• People can and should use “the law of attraction” to “manifest” whatever they desire!

These beliefs do not align with Christianity!

The more you know about these New Age beliefs, the more you start to see them everywhere! I believe this is because people (especially in developed nations) are spiritually hungry. Many are leaving Christianity, unfortunately, and for them, New Age beliefs are very attractive.

Another problem with positive affirmations may have more to do with the ritualistic way they are taught and how they are used.

1. They usually are worded beginning with the words, “I am.” This is not necessarily bad, but is clearly self-focused.
2. They must be worded in the present tense “as if” they are already true, even if they are not currently true.
3. They are supposed to be thought or said out loud several times a day. One method is called the 555 Method of 55 X 5 Method. People are taught to write them 55 times in one sitting for 5 consecutive days. This is supposed to get them into your subconscious mind.
4. People are taught to visualize while making the affirmations, picturing themselves doing or possessing whatever they desire.
5. They must believe in the power of the words to make the desired changes.

Does this mean Christians should not use positive affirmations at all?

Some say yes, we should eliminate them and all non-Biblical teachings. However, I do not agree with this. After all, wouldn't this include modern science? I can't believe God wants us to reject the teachings of science that the world has benefitted from so much in the years since the Bible was written. And the people who think we should reject all non-biblical teachings would certainly include the teaching of yoga. Obviously, I do not believe this either.

Middle Ground

Christ-centered yoga teachers and practitioners are looking for this place! We are looking for a "middle ground" where we use the physical postures of yoga and the parts of yogic philosophy and practice that align with science and our Christian faith while rejecting the things that do not.

So how are we to know if a positive affirmation is OK to use?

I believe most positive affirmations are fine - if they are true! And an affirmation can be true, even if we don’t feel like it is true all of the time. Affirmations like:

• I am beautiful
• I am happy
• I am peaceful

Why are these true for Christians?

• We are beautiful because God created us in His image and said we are very good!
• We are happy because we know we are saved in Christ Jesus!
• We are peaceful because when we pray, God gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding!

If meditating on these truths helps us truly believe them, then that is good.

Harmful Affirmations

Some affirmations, however, can be harmful. (Some of these may surprise you!) Things like…

• I am enough.
• I am worthy of love.
• I am worthy of financial abundance.
• I am limitless.
• I am light.

These are harmful because they are just not true, at least not without God.

1. We are not enough without God. The Bible affirms that all humans sin and fall short.
2. We are not worthy of love or anything else. Christians believe that God gives us love and all we have, not because we deserve them, but as a free gift of His grace.

The last two seem so obvious to most Christians, but not to people who fall for New Age beliefs:

1. Only God is limitless. We are created, finite beings. We do have great potential to accomplish great things with God, but not on our own.
2. Jesus is the light of the world, not us. We Christ-followers try to reflect His light. We are not deceived into thinking that the light comes from ourselves!

That’s my main point. I don’t want you to be deceived, or use affirmations to only deceive yourself!

• Do not use them to convince yourself that you are something you are not.
• Do not be disappointed in yourself if you are unsuccessful in "manifesting" whatever you desire.

For Christians, the Bible is clear in telling us to pray for what we desire, and if it is God’s will also, it will be given to us. But sometimes His answer is no, or not yet - a hard truth for all of us.

So should we use Biblical Affirmations?

I do think Biblical Positive Affirmations are helpful and safe for Christians, just as I believe so strongly that yoga can be used by Christians as a powerful tool to benefit our bodies, minds, and spirits when used correctly.

Biblical Affirmations are promises of God! They can point to who we are in Christ and help us to draw closer to Jesus. They can help us to change and renew our hearts and minds.

How to use Biblical Positive Affirmations

There are many ways! Here are a few:

They can be used as breath prayers - something Christ-centered yoga teachers often use in their classes.

• Inhale a meaningful name of God or a truth from scripture
• Exhale a God-given desire of your heart.

Pray about them! Ask God to help you understand and believe in their truth..

Look the verses up in your own Bible and read them in context. This is so important for proper understanding.

Put them where you can see them, and be reminded of them throughout the day.

Choose one to meditate on each day.

Write them in a journal, along with your thoughts about them. Maybe even illustrate them if you are artistically inclined!

Pick some that are especially meaningful to you and memorize them. Having scripture written on your heart is a powerful tool!

My 25 Biblical Positive Affirmations for Self-esteem

If you put “Biblical Positive Affirmations” in your search engine, you will find hundreds of them. I sifted through many of them and created a beautiful document that I would love to give to you. I thought 100 might be overwhelming, so I selected 25 that I thought might be especially meaningful.

I included God’s promises for a variety of situations. You will find promises that can help:

• When you don’t feel lovable
• When you feel rejected or disappointed
• When you have experienced a loss
• When you are grieving
• When you are afraid for yourself or your loved ones
• When you feel regret for something in your past
• When you feel doubts or weak in your faith
• When you feel alone
• When you feel powerless
• When you feel worthless

Remember God never promised that life should be without trouble, so your negative feelings are normal. As humans, we experience negative emotions. Our world is broken, and things are often not as they should be! If we think we should be happy all the time, we are deceiving ourselves.

I chose not to word my list of Biblical Positive Affirmations as “I am” statements because of their association with New Age teachings. But if you wish to change them to to directly say who you are in Christ, there is nothing to fear in the words themselves.

Remember the power is in the great “I Am,” not the words “I am”!

I chose to write about half of them as “You are” statements and the other half begin with “God promises…”. I also provided the Bible chapter and verse in full, so you can easily look them up in your own Bible. I looked through many Bible translations and chose an easy-to-understand translation of each verse, the one I felt was clearest from among several well-known and accepted Bible translations. I decided to even include the abbreviation for the Bible translation I chose, so you know exactly where they came from and can compare them with the translations you prefer. There is a key to the abbreviations on the last page of the document.

I think the document is beautiful! It is designed so you can easily print them out, cut them apart, and put them up wherever you’d like to see them.

I’ll wrap this up today with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians in chapter 4, verse 8 in the New International Version:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Click Here to get your free copy!