-Written first by Wendy Weldon, modified and published by Lynne Suszek with permission.

What a small word – MY. Two letters. And yet it yields more power than we realize. God brought this to my attention quite a few years ago, and I revisit it now and then – that there is a great importance to this word, and to take note of how I use it.

Merriam Webster says – MY means – of or relating to me or myself especially as possessor, agent, object of an action, or familiar person “my car,” “my home,” “my belongings,” “my man”                                                        Dictionary.com says that when MY is used as a determiner (to determine…) it means :   1. of,  belonging to, or associated with the speaker or writer (me): my own ideas, do you mind my smoking?    2. used in various forms of address: my lord, my dear boy;  or 3. used in various exclamations: my goodness!     …and that the Origin and History of MY – 1200, mi, reduced form of mine used before words beginning in consonants except h- (my father, but mine enemy), As interjection, by 1825, probably a shortened form of my God! 

Free Dictionary.com
1.Used as a modifier before a noun: my boots; my accomplishments 2. Used preceding various forms of polite, affectionate, or familiar address: My friend, you are so right. 3. Used in various interjectional phrases: My word! My goodness! Used as an exclamation of surprise, pleasure, or dismay: Oh, my! What a tiring day!

So we can see that this little common word – when used the first way – is in fact something that determines what belongs to us, what we hold near and dear, and it makes an association to our self. It is related to the words I and MINE – again, it is an identifier – it has to do with our own identity and the identity of what belongs to us

Additional uses include an affectionate or familiar use… something dear, or precious.  And of course – one we know well = OMG! coined so well by Janis of the sitcom Friends. Historically from it’s use in 1800’s – My God!

One of the first words a child learns… MINE!!! We identify what we want, what we consider “OURS” by the use of the word “MY” or “MINE”. That’s Mine! My Toy! My Mom, My Dad, My friend, My fiance, My spouse, My children, My pet(s), … you get the idea.

We proudly proclaim our accomplishments and our achievements… when we have a place to live – it is our home. The yard and landscaping is – My grass and My flowers… BUT…. (yes, that’s MY but!) …What happens when we find the atrocious weed growing in the lawn or flower bed? …or in the sidewalk or driveway!? Do you EVER say …”MY weed”? Or are you more likely to address the intruder with a more unfriendly term like, “That weed has to go!” or “I have got to get rid of these weeds!” I don’t think I have ever heard anyone claim those weeds for their own by using MY with it. “Oh My Weeds!”

Or those pesky critters that tear up things… “My Mole”?, “My varmits” So… here’s the important part to consider… how are YOU using your MY? “My Arthritis is actin up! My diabetes,… My Cancer,… My asthma, … My pain, My sickness, My disease…” “My problems are overwhelming! My bills are sky high! My debt,…” “My Attacker, My Stalker, My Ex-”   Some people affectionately refer to sounds in their house as “that’s our ghost” – uh hello! You are possessive about demons! Yes you can be calling demonic things your own. “My sickness” is an evil entity you should detach yourself from. You do that by calling it “that problem” instead of “my problem.”

What are you attaching to yourself? What are you claiming as your own?  Biblically-sound advice: since you have what you say, (Mark 11:22-24 “whosoever shall say … those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”) therefore you might want to consider how you use the word MY.

The first Biblical use – Gen 2:23 where Adam says – “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” The first New Testament use – Matthew 2:6, the wise men addressing Herod’s scribes and priests asking where Christ would be born… they responded from written Prophecy  “Bethlehem – …for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel“… (God’s chosen)   God uses His words wisely and is very passionate about His MY’s. We should do as He does.