Have you ever struggled with questions such as “Who am I?” or “What defines me?” You’re not alone. Everyone has pondered these questions at one time or another, and they are not easily answered.
If we try to answer these questions according to the world’s standard, we will come up short. Not enough – not thin enough, not rich enough, not attractive enough – you get the picture. We have been told we need to be this way or that way in order to measure up to a standard that is based on the qualifications set by the “they’s” of this world. Who are “they” anyway? The world’s standards are based on the shallow, self-absorbed viewpoints of the chosen few; but who chose them, we do not know.
Contrast that with who Jesus says you are. If you are a Christian, your identity encompasses all the abundance of being a beloved child of God. Wow! A beloved child of God. Can you let that sink in for a moment? When was the last time the world said, “We love you?” Probably never, at least never to me and I expect never to you either. Let’s take a look at who God says that we are.
- We are considered to be holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).
- We have been renewed in the knowledge of God and no longer want to live in our old ways or nature before we accepted Christ (Colossians 3:9-10).
- We are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7-8). We are bought by the blood of Christ, we are conquerors, we are loved & accepted, friends of God, redeemed, forgiven, and so much more.
Once you choose to follow Jesus, you become a new creation, the old passes away, and you become who you were created to be, who you are in Him.
I cannot think of anything greater than to be wholly loved and accepted by God! We have been chosen for a life set apart from the world. We have a purpose here. We have value. We are so much more than what the world says.
If we live according to the world’s standards and draw our identity from within its skewed viewpoint, we will never measure up. It’s God’s opinion of us that matters. Your identity does not depend on something you do, something you have, or the way you look. Your true identity is who God says you are. Accept what God says about you, stand in agreement with Him, and become the person He says you are. Only then will you be able to accomplish your purpose and His plan for your life.
Blog Contributed by Tonya King
Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash