Know Whose you are.

Stepping out of the sinking sand and onto solid ground.

If Christ is not what defines you, then something else is. If Christ is not what gives you meaning and worth, then someone or something else is. The problem is that if what defines you is not eternal, like Christ, one day what defines you will end and with it your identity.

If what defines you is your marriage or your relationships with others, one day, whether by death, divorce, or separation, you will lose the relationships in your life. Then who will you be?

 You could go out and meet someone new and let them define you, but eventually, that too will end. You will be stuck in a cycle of fearing the inevitable loss of identity and trying to replace your identity when it does end.

Or if you define yourself by your job, one day you will retire or be fired, get sick, and have to quit no matter what cause one day your job will end, and you will lose the thing that defined you.

I let my illness and the people in my life define me, for a long time. My identity was always shifting. If I was having a good day then I found my identity to be positive, but if someone said something negative or my health was poor, my identity and worth plummeted. I walked on sinking sand, constantly. Always trying to figure out who I was and what my purpose was in life.

I was lost. I didn’t know who I was. I was always looking for where I belonged. when I had to make a tough decision I had nothing to lean on to help me know which way to go.

Then I got to know Jesus, my firm foundation. I came to understand how He defines me. My identity is in Him. No matter whether I feel good or bad, if people are kind or cruel if life is working out, or if I am disappointed. No matter what the world throws at me I know what God thinks of me, I know how He defines me, and it never changes.

Now, when I am feeling sick, because of chronic illness, I can look at it as a chance to slow down and spend more time with Jesus, instead of seeing it as a disappointment life threw at me. I am not sad or disappointed about being sick only thankful for a chance to worship God more. In His word, God tells me my body is a temple, even when it is broken God still lives inside of me. This right here is everything. The perfect God resides in my broken body because He loves me.

“This revelation has transformed what used to be a burden into a powerful testimony. Now, I can smile and confidently share with others that despite their suffering, God loves them and has a plan for their pain and brokenness that surpasses their imagination.”

Know Who you are and Whose you are?

The only way to stand firm in our identity is to know it. Who are we in Christ? Scripture says:

• You are God’s child. “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13 ESV

• You are free. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— Romans 6:6

• You were created by God. So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

• You are God’s special possession. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Pete 2:9
• Your Body is a temple. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19

• You are called. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

If we do not let Jesus define us, then the world will. Letting the world define you means shifting value, based on your circumstances. Letting God define you means having a stable solid identity. We must learn to see us the way Christ does and then begin to believe it.

Step toward the rock

To shift our identity from what the world says to what Jesus says we must take steps toward God, toward forming a solid foundation on him. There are a few practical steps for your daily life I want to share with you that have helped me to grow in my identity in Christ.

• Memorize the above scriptures or others that pertain to your identity in Christ. When the devil tries to define you contrary to God’s words don’t be afraid to say aloud the promises of God to combat the devil’s lies and remind you of the truth.
• Have a friend that will remind you of the truth when you are down. I find that sometimes when I feel defeated it has helped tremendously to have other women who will remind me of the truth. Hearing others speak life into my life has given me strength when I felt defeated. Pray that God will bring the right people into your life to come alongside you and help you when you are weak, and you can do the same for them.
• Worship. When I am feeling defeated or overcome, like I can’t go on, I turn to worship. I find that when I hit my knees or even just listen from my couch, God comes when I worship him in my time of need. He comforts me and reminds me of my identity through songs and spending time in His presence.

Conclusion

If we allow the world and our circumstances to define us, we will never have peace from a solid foundation. Our worth and identity will constantly be shifting. If we, however, let Jesus define us we can be sure that it will never change and that it will be for our good (Jeremiah 27:19). By knowing what God says about us, having Godly friends to support us and by coming to God in worship we can remember what god says about us and we can continue to grow in our identity in Christ and the peace that it brings.

Things to ponder.

Comment in the comment section or drop me an email at emilyb@moreofjesusplease.com, and tell us your experience or thoughts on your identity in Christ

What defines your identity?

Does it have an end date, if so, when? (death, loss of job, or health)?

What will you do when it does end and no longer defines you? Who will you be?