When sitting down tonight and thinking about what to write about, I was nudged by the Holy Spirit to speak about identity—but first, I want to tell a bit of a story.
This past week, I went to my first Sociology 101 class. I had done my homework—finding and reading an article– and was ready for the class, or so I thought. As my classmates pulled out the articles they had read, my teacher announced that we were going to present our articles to the class. “You have GOT to be kidding me,” I thought to myself.
I volunteered to get it over with, and let’s just say, I probably only made sense half the time. As I quietly gave my teacher the article after presentation, I sat down and thought, “I may have sucked at that, but at least I did it!”
As I sat in the class, watching others present their articles, I became keenly aware of Jesus’ Presence with me: His nearness, Him giving me strength and courage, and the understanding that though I may/may not be seen as prominent by those around me, I was incredibly loved and extremely valued by Jesus, my God and King.
Sadly, this truth is not always on my mind and heart. What with the major theme of the new movie “Overcomer” being where one gets their identity from, I ask myself now: where am I getting my identity from?
Is it being “good enough” for God after doing all of the Christian things I’m supposed to do?
Is it based on how my classmates and professors look at me, or how eloquently I speak before people?
Is it based on how beautiful, funny, intelligent, witty, or kind I am?
Where to Find Identity
Thank the Lord that none of these are where I get my true identity (especially since I suck at public speaking). In a world where identity has quickly become whatever a person wants it to be (like in the LGBTQ+ community, for example), it can be almost impossible to know where to find our true identity. This world will try to tell you who you are, what you’re worth, and what you can and cannot do. Dear friend, do NOT listen to it! Instead, listen to the words of God found in Psalm 139.
“My frame was not hidden from you [God] when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”
(Psalm 139:15-18, NIV)
Jesus knows you intimately, and will forever love you passionately. The more you understand who He is, the more you will understand what He thinks about you and how He relates to you. I pray that in it, you would recognize how crazy His Love is for you. After all, His Word is, among other things, a love letter to His people!
Where have you found your identity at in the past? How does Jesus’ work on the cross show you what He thinks of you? I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts below!
Do you know Jesus?
Jesus Loves you! This sounds very trite and cliché, but it is true. Learn about Jesus’ Love for you, and how He proved His Love for you, here.
ISAIAH 62 PRAYER MINISTRY 