As a child of God, you understand that the real basis of your identity isn’t contingent upon what the world says about you. Instead, we find our identities in what God says about us in His Word. Unfortunately, many of us face a daily identity crisis. Not only do we try to live up to the expectations of those around us, but we’re also constantly trying to make sure that we meet our own expectations. Today, you can solve your identity crisis by understanding who you are in Christ.
Who are you? Depending on a variety of factors, you may answer that question any number of ways. Perhaps you would simply respond with your name. In a lot of cases, people respond to a question about who they are by discussing their career path. Perhaps you’re a successful businessperson, a lawyer, doctor, or hold another important job title. Many people find their identity in who they are in relation to other people. Perhaps you would answer the question by talking about your role as a husband, wife, father, or mother.
It’s important to understand that there is certainly nothing wrong with any of those answers on their own. Taking pride in your work, and being a good partner to your spouse, and parent to your children are all admirable qualities. However, your real identity, the very core of who you are as a person, isn’t found in any of those things. Instead, as God’s people, we find our identity in who God says we are. His version of us is the most genuine version of us that we have ever or will ever discover.
Do you feel like you’re facing an identity crisis? Maybe you’ve come to the realization that you simply don’t know who you are anymore. Let today be the day that you find your real identity in Christ Jesus.
You Are Seen by God
Genesis 16:13 (ESV)
So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
Do you ever feel like you’re unseen? Perhaps you work tirelessly at your job, and you never feel like your coworkers or supervisors acknowledge that. Maybe you do a lot of “little” things at your house, but it seems like your spouse and children don’t appreciate that. There’s even a chance that you serve in some behind the scenes capacities at your church, and you don’t feel like anyone recognizes that.
It’s often difficult to strike the balance between wanting to be seen and wanting to be humble. No, you don’t do the things that you do so someone will pat you on the back. However, all of us like to receive some positive affirmation for the work that we put in. It’s easy to let frustration creep in and become discouraged if you feel like you are not seen.
Today, take solace in the fact that you are seen. In the verse we just read, Hagar felt completely forgotten. She was Sarai’s nursemaid, and Sarai suggested that Abraham have a baby with her to keep his name alive. Unfortunately, after the baby was born, Sarai became jealous and told Abraham to send Hagar and their son, Ishmael out into the wilderness. She was scared, alone, taking care of a child, and felt completely unseen.
While Sarai hated her and Abraham banished her, God saw her. In fact, God not only saw her, but He also ran to her side to make sure that she knew it. God took care of Hagar and Ishmael. If God saw Hagar, you can rest assured in the fact that He sees you. Today, remind yourself that you are seen by the God of all creation.
You Are Chosen by God
2 Thessalonians 2:13 (TPT)
We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, for you are dearly loved by the Lord. He proved it by choosing you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit, who set you apart for holiness, and through your belief in the truth.
Have you ever been the last person chosen for something? Perhaps you have clear memories of gym class in high school. In most cases, there are two captains who pick teams to compete in some sort of athletic event. Unless you were incredibly athletic, you may have suffered through the lengthy process of watching other people get chosen while you waited for your name to be called.
Sadly, the process of feeling like you’re the last choice doesn’t always end with high school gym class. When we start dealing with relationships of any kind, it’s easy to start feeling like you’re the last choice all over again.
God chose you. Thousands of years ago, before you were ever even a thought, God chose you. When He gave His Son as a sacrifice for your sins (John 3:16), He chose you. He didn’t do this because you were the best or the brightest. This wasn’t like picking teams, in which God was looking at your physical capabilities. Instead, He chose you simply because you are you. Today, stand on the truth that you have been chosen by God.
You Are Set Free by God
Galatians 5:1 (TPT)
Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free-not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish the truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.
One of the most dangerous things that Satan will ever try to do is to convince you that you are still defined by your past. If we’re being honest, all of us have parts of our story that we would like to forget. We’ve all got some mistakes that we’ve made and some missteps that we have taken along the way. If we could go back and make changes, we would. Unfortunately, what’s done is done, and there is nothing we can do to go back and erase that.
Armed with the knowledge that we can’t do anything to erase our pasts, we’re forced to face the fact that we either have to learn to live with it or allow it to control our lives. Regrets and shame can have a powerful impact on our lives. If we’re not careful, our pasts can serve as a set of shackles that leave us tethered to the pain associated with the mistakes that we’ve made in the past. Depending on the gravity of the mistakes that you’ve made, you may wake up every day riddled with guilt, shame, and self-condemnation. That’s not God’s plan for you.
In his letter to the Galatian Church, Paul said that we have been set free. Even more importantly, he said that we have been set wonderfully and completely free. That means that there is not a hint of bondage that is meant to remain in our lives. You were never intended to carry around the weight of your past. In fact, you’re not strong enough.
That flies in the face of everything that we’re taught. We live in a society that preaches self-sufficiency. However, for the child of God, self-sufficiency isn’t part of the equation. Tragically, many of us walk around under the weight of our own pasts, failing to experience the kind of freedom that Christ has made available to everyone who believes in Him.
Today, embrace the fact that you are free. You are free from your past, you are free from shame, and you are free from the regret of the things that you’ve done. Today, you are a free person because of the price that was paid for your freedom.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, today I am thankful for the freedom that You have made available to me. I know that the only way that I can truly find my true identity is to embrace every truth that You have said about me in Your Word. Help me to stop looking for my identity in everything around me and to let you define who I am. In Christ’s name, Amen.