True Identity- Part One

I am starting a series of blog posts on identity, true identity. I believe this is a topic all of us can relate to as at one time or another, all of us have had challenges in this area of our lives. Identity issues can manifest in many different ways, such as: unhealthy relationships, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, confusion, just to name a few. The good thing is that once we know WHO we ARE, who God created us to be, the solidity of this discovery brings peace, joy and hope.

Throughout my teenage years and in my early young adult life I really had no idea WHO I WAS. This confusion caused me to wear different masks, especially during my high school career. Not only was I insecure but I also went to great lengths to fit in with friends and peers. I got into a lot of trouble because of this.

Have you ever seen the movie To Save A Life? The main character, Jake, starts off as one of the big basketball stars in his high school- the kind that fits in with the crowd by partying, sleeping around and of course by drinking and doing drugs.

Unfortunately Jake’s lack of true identity causes him to go down a road that ends in tragedy for one of his best childhood friends. This old-time friend, who Jake started to ignore after his high school “fame� began, ends up shooting himself in the hallway of his school as Jake looks on, begging him not to take his own life.

This moment shakes Jake to the core. He can’t go on with life as usual; something shifts inside him, something greater than himself. Through this tragedy he begins to search for answers and soon discovers his true identity. He is transformed from the big basketball star on campus to someone with purpose beyond his own selfish desires. He encounters God’s love and is never the same.

Once Jake realizes the difference his life can make and that his true identity is not found in basketball, girls or friends, he becomes a solid young man full of passion and vision.

Although this is somewhat of an extreme example of false identity it strongly illustrates the power of true identity.

Without a solid foundation of who we truly are, we are double-minded; like a wave blown and tossed by the wind. Any wind that blows, any person of influence or a popular movement that comes along, we join in and become who they are, or who they want us to be.📷

Being double-minded is simply to be unstable. You cannot make up your mind about anything- swaying from opinion to opinion, worried about what others think or say. The fear to be one’s true self- according to the Word of God- causes us to live double-minded, walking in confusion instead of peace and security.

I was like this during my high school years. Instead of being who God had created me to be- passionate about Him and seeking Him first- I fell for the lies of the enemy. I believed that my identity came from what others thought about me, how others accepted me and how popular I was. I had this tug-of-war on the inside of me constantly- I wanted to serve Jesus yet I was so worried about what others would think. I was so desperate to be loved that I gave in to my flesh many times. I was double-minded and never fully committed my life to Him because my identity was mixed with lies I had believed about who I was. These lies were deep. For years I did not believe I could be loved or accepted by anyone, even God. This deception robbed me of my true identity and caused much confusion in my teens and early young adult years.

This is dangerous. A solid identity is the key to living a life of fulfillment and purpose. I’d like to touch on several scriptures that deal with identity. There are hundreds of these in the Word but we’ll just touch on a few, simply to whet your appetite for more 🙂

Let’s start with very foundational truths about our identity.  These truths can only be found in the Word of God because only God’s Word is flawless. Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.â€�Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.â€�

In John 8 Jesus says that if we hold on to His teachings {His words} we will know truth and truth will set us free. His teachings are wrapped up in the Word we know as The Holy Bible. In John 1 it says Jesus is the Word made flesh, this is why Jesus says, “I Am THE way, THE Truth, and THE Life…� {John 14:6}. He is Truth, His Words recorded in the Old and New Testament are Truth, and His Truth sets us free.

Personally there have been many, many times the Word alone has set me free. Chapters like Psalm 139or Isaiah 49:14-16 have radically changed my life through the power of the written Word, the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.�

The Word of God is living and active TODAY, it alone can set us free, it alone is Truth.

With that in mind, let’s have a look at what God’s Word has to say about our identity.

Ephesians 1:4b-5 “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…�

We, as believers in Jesus Christ are adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God. If we simply stopped here this should be enough! Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we have now become a part of God’s family. This means that we are ROYALTY. Not only that, we are not orphans.

So often many of us {including myself} have lived our lives as orphans at one time or another. Instead of allowing ourselves to be embraced and accepted into God’s own family, we run away- hiding in shame for what we have or haven’t done. We do not fully accept the gift Jesus has given us through His death on the cross. He made a way and yet we reject it through our false humility {which is pride in disguise} or our insecurity in the love that He gives.

Imagine yourself as one ADOPTED into the family of God. His love extended through His very own Son- Jesus. Imagine the paradigm shift this would bring to the way we think and live if we’d simply allow this to renew our minds and set us free. Truth always sets us free, lies chain us.

In His perfect, unconditional, sacrificial love He predestined US to be His sons and daughters. Wow. Everything changes when we encounter this revelatory truth. Everything. Why? Because we then begin to live like it’s true. We begin to live differently, pray differently, and talk differently. The depth to which we grasp this is key. We are sons and daughters of THE King. A GOOD King {Psalm 136:1}; a generous King {Matthew 7:11}; a loving and forgiving King {1 John 4:8; John 3:16}. That truth alone sets us free to BE who He created us to be.

The issue is if you’re anything like I was, this kind of truth is hard to believe. How could God, who created the entire universe, possibly care about me being adopted into His own family, especially when my own family had abandoned me in times past? These old mindsets, these past experiences can hinder us from receiving His love and complete acceptance into His family.

How do we overcome this? It’s a choice. We have to retrain our minds with TRUTH. We have to surround ourselves with others who believe this to be true. We need to be careful what we feed our minds and emotions- through music, conversation, media. We have to take control over our thoughts and begin to practically apply the Truth of God’s Word to our hearts and lives. How? By KNOWING what God’s Word says about us and reciting it out loud to ourselves daily.

Ok so, you might not feel loved or accepted by God but His Word clearly says, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…� {Ephesians 1:5}. Therefore begin declaring this Truth over your life EVERYDAY until it sinks into your heart and spirit.

Applying the Word of God to our everyday lives is a choice and it takes self-discipline and self-control. By retraining our minds and changing the way we talk about ourselves our entire lives will change. That is the power of Truth that comes from the Word of God. I’ve seen it happen in my own life time and time again!

Let’s take some time to soak in this Truth for the next few days, as you stay tuned for Part Two of this series on True Identity.