(Photo courtesy of Allstar/20th Century Fox)

This is Me

By Tori Martin

“Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for (woah)”……ahhh that famous first liner of “The Greatest Showman” movie! Such an awesome movie,have you seen it? Considering it’s grossed over $435 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo) I’m assuming that you possibly have or at least you have heard of the spectacular musical, along with its catchy empowering soundtrack? If you haven’t, then where have you been hiding?! It’s a movie with a powerful message that makes you want to embrace your uniqueness, run away and join the circus whilst screaming at the top of your lungs “This Is Me!!!!”

The movie tells the story of P.T. Barnum, a man with a vision who rose from nothing to create a breathtaking show celebrating uniqueness in all it’s beauty and becoming a worldwide success. There is a moment in the movie where Barnum is putting up posters all around the town advertising for new recruits for his circus which read “WANTED: UNIQUE PERSONS” and whilst doing so a passerby shouts out to him “ hey, you looking for freaks?” and then points Barnum in the direction of finding a person who fits the bill. This got me thinking; here we see two people with two completely different attitudes on how they view this particular individual, one is positive and accepting,the other is negative and judgemental, a matter of mindset we could say.

How do you view your own individual uniqueness? Are you seeing yourself as “unique” or  “freak”? If it’s the latter then I want to ask you why? And who told you that?! God certainly didn’t that’s for sure and His opinion my friend is the only opinion which should matter to you. Maybe someone spoke something negative towards your uniqueness or informed you that you could not do something because of it? Or maybe it is something which you saw on social media that made you feel inadequate? Whatever it was, it’s packed a mighty punch,left a bruise and now has deeply rooted itself as a stronghold in your mind. What’s a stronghold? A stronghold is an area which you are held in bondage due to wrong yucky thinking.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”

– 2 Corinthians 10:4

2 Corinthians 10:4 tells that we have the power to pull down strongholds, but how do we do this? By the renewal of our minds. How do we renew our minds? By the Word of God. Spend time with God and study what He thinks about you and His love for you. Park at that study until it sticks! Start to replace your “freak” with “unique”. Every time a thought pops up in your head which does not align with God’s Word, shut it down and replace it with what God says about you instead. Meditate on these scriptures as much as you can. Proverbs 23:7 teaches “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”, which simply means; what you think about it, is what you become!

 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good & acceptable and perfect.”

– Romans 12:2

It’s time to stop looking at your uniqueness in a distorted circus type mirror where the reflection looking back at you points and screams “FREAK!” and start to look at yourself in God’s mirror which reflects back nothing but beautiful truths, a mirror that is so crystal clear and boldly declares that you are “AWESOME & UNIQUE!”

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

– Ephesians 2:10

You are God’s very own masterpiece and when you put yourself down, you are insulting His handiwork. Don’t insult the Big Man, it’s not cool. God made you with purpose, with His own loving hands and is completely and utterly crazy about you!

Let me help kick start your new mindset with some motivational truths and a fantastic scripture for you to memorize; Darling, you are brilliant, beautiful and brave, just the way you are!

“I will give thanks & praise to You, for I am fearfully & wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well”

– Psalm 139:14

Now read that again.

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Find out more about Tori by visiting torifaith.com