Identity in Christ

  • Finding Significance, Identity in Christ

    Who You Are

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    Nowadays we have a lot of pressure to do all the things and do them perfectly; to be everything to everyone; to basically be superwoman–all the while looking fabulous and handling whatever comes our way with an air of ease (not even breaking a sweat). Do you ever feel the pressure to be it all? We think we need to be the perfect wife and the Pinterest-worthy mom, have a successful career, make sure our kids eat their vegetables, volunteer for the latest cause, and be there for everyone who needs us while somehow not losing our sanity.

    The problem with trying to live up to this image or expectation is that we can end up feeling like we are never enough, feeling empty, exhausted, and unlovely. It leaves us feeling like we are ever-striving but never arriving. We were never meant to keep striving to be somebody. Because the truth is, you are already somebody. You are already worthy, enough, and successful in Christ! He has made you the way you are with all the things that make you, you–to be who you need to be for your friends, your kids or your spouse.

    What if we got off the hamster wheel of chasing our self-worth and identity from our jobs, roles and the approval of others? What if we first found confidence from knowing who we were made to be and owning that? What if we found our security from knowing that what defines us is who God says we are?

    Every day we must choose if we are going to let the opinions and pressures of the world to tell us who they think we should be or we can stand firm in the never-changing truth of God’s word and who God says we are.

    You are CHOSEN. (John 15:16)
    You are REDEEMED. (Col 1:4)
    You have PURPOSE in Christ. (John 15:16, 2 Corinth 17-21)
    You are COMPLETE in Christ. (Col 2:10)
    You are WONDERFULLY made by the hand of the Creator. (Psalm 139:13-14)
    You are the SALT and LIGHT of the earth. (Matt 5:13-14)
    You are one in whom God DELIGHTS. (Zephaniah 3:17, Gal 2:20)
    You are an HEIR to the kingdom of God. (Romans 8:17)
    You are EMPOWERED through the Spirit. (2 Tim 1:17)
    You are God’s MASTERPIECE. (Eph 2:10)
    You are a CHILD of GOD. (John 1:12, Eph 1:5)
    You are LOVED! (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10)

    I know it is not always easy to remember these truths and so very easy to get caught up in the lies the enemy whispers in our ears, telling us we have to keep striving to be enough. But please know, your momentary feelings are fickle and can lead you astray, but the truth of who you are in Christ is solid and secure. So next time you find yourself doubting who you are, your purpose, and if you are enough, repeat these truths to yourself. Choose to focus on what is true and let the Holy Spirit remind you of God’s truth.

    I am praying these truths will cover your heart and mind, so that you will have great confidence in who God says you are!

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  • Heart Stuff, Identity in Christ

    Blessed Assurance

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    “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story– those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.” Psalm 107:2 

    Valentine’s Day is today, and while Netflix is teeming with rom-coms and happily-ever-afters, real life isn’t quite as formulaic as my favorite chick flick. There is no soft filter smoothing the fine lines on my face from where I smile, and no theme song playing in the background. I don’t have a trendy assistant/best friend that brings me my coffee while we banter about our latest shenanigans. And I don’t wear Gucci or Prada.

    My story is a little less shiny. There are seasons of joy and sorrow, faith and doubt. There are times of courage and times of fear. I’ve experienced love, romance and marriage, with flowers and all the feels and mushy stuff. There have also been hard days, when we honestly didn’t know how we were going to work things out.

    My husband and I know the joy and challenges of having two awesome kids.

    We know the pain of grief and the hope of heaven as we wait to meet loved ones again someday.

    There have been detours and windy roads, ambiguous places where it wasn’t clear what to do. Whole chapters of my life story are all about waiting, and then waiting some more. And every now and then there’s a lightning bolt of clarity and direction, launching me into a new and exciting adventure.

    But as I look back over my 39 years, I see another story as well. The story of Jesus, at work in my life, laughing when I’m goofy, crying with me when I weep, redeeming my pain for purpose and standing by me triumphantly in victory. His presence has been constant, even when I wasn’t looking for him.

    God has written my story into His bigger story of love. He has gone to the greatest lengths to make sure that we can be with Him, secure and loved. His love is true and perfect. God’s love drives out fear. It’s patient and kind, and keeps no record of the wrong we do. It endures all things. In fact, the theme of the entire Bible is the story of God’s unfailing love for us!

    This is the firm foundation upon which our identity is grounded. Who we are at our very core is “beloved by God”. On days like Valentine’s Day, it can be tempting to let the world’s expectations, or even our own, creep in and stir up comparison and disappointment. But regardless of our relationship status, how many friends reach out on Facebook to wish us a Happy Day, or how pampered we feel, we can know, without a doubt that we are loved by God.

    There’s a hymn I grew up singing in church and it is one of my very favorites. I think it perfectly captures the peace of being so beloved by our Lord.

    Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
    O what a foretaste of glory divine
    Heir of salvation, purchase of God
    Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood

    Perfect submission, all is at rest
    I in my Savior am happy and blessed
    Watching and waiting, looking above
    Filled with His goodness, lost in His love

    This is my story, this is my song
    Praising my Savior all the day long
    This is my story, this is my song
    Praising my Savior all the day long

    Our life may not be perfect, but we can have the perfect love of Jesus. He never abandons us, he pursues us and protects us. We get to experience that perfect submission and rest that the song speaks of. We are filled with God’s goodness and can get lost in His love.

    What’s more, when we embrace our belovedness to God, we begin to see the belovedness of others. It changes how we interact with the world around us and gives us a heavenly perspective. We feel more loved by others because God is first and foremost filling us with His perfect love. We can in turn, show love to others who need it, and live a life with our minds free from comparison and insecurity.

    Let this be your story and song too! Rest in knowledge that the God who created the universe and all things in it, thought the world needed one of you too. You have value and worth, and are deeply, and profoundly loved.

    Happy Valentine’s Day friend!

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  • Heart Stuff, Identity in Christ

    You Are God’s Beloved

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    There are a lot of days when I look back and think with disappointment, “Well I was definitely not my best self today.” You know those days, when you lose your keys in the freezer and go to work late with your shirt on inside out, only to find out you forgot about a meeting. By the time you get home you’re short-tempered and muttering under your breath at anyone who dares to even raise an eyebrow to you. And then there’s your friend over there, with her perfect everything, living her super-duper life where nothing goes wrong and everything goes right, and how on earth does she get perfect brows and winged eyeliner every single day?!

    Truth be told, I don’t like myself on those days. I hate feeling less-than and insecure, lost in comparison to those who seem like they have it all together. It leaves my mind spinning, and suddenly everything is about me. I over analyze people’s moods, second guess the conversation in the break room, and ultimately doubt my own value. But that mindset is not of God.

    I recently started following a podcast called Things Above with James Bryan Smith. It’s a podcast dedicated to training the mind to focus on “things above” based on the Bible verse Colossians 3:2. My sweet friend, I recently heard an episode called “God’s Beloved” that I could not wait to tell you about. I was practically weak with excitement. The message is this:

    You are God’s beloved on your worst day, in your worst moment.

    If you’re like me, you’ll read that sentence twice, feeling sure you’ll find a typo, but it’s correct, even if it feels a little hard to believe.

    In our culture of comparison and striving for recognition and validation, it is a surreal thought that we can be loved just as we are. It is downright mind blowing that we could be loved when we are at less than our best. But in Christ, beloved is exactly what we are. Not based on our accomplishments or merit or charm, but because God created us, knows us fully, and delights in us (still).

    So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”

    Colossians 3:12

    We are chosen of God, holy because of Christ, and so very beloved. Let that sink in. Go ahead and marinate in it for a sec.

    In order to believe that we are God’s beloved we are going to need a power greater than ourselves, and that is the Holy Spirit.

    James Bryan Smith reminds us that in 1 Corinthians 12:3 “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. In the same way, we need the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to help us believe that we are beloved.

    When we embrace our belovedness to God, we begin to see the belovedness of others. It changes how we interact with the world around us and gives us a heavenly perspective. It changes how we handle an off day at work, an insecure feeling or how we talk to our loved ones when we are tired and stressed. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” because we are beloved. We can live a life with our minds free from comparison and striving to stand out in the world.

    We are already seen and valued by the One who matters most. You are God’s beloved!

    P.S. I hope that you’ll take a the time to listen to this episode of the Things Above podcast. The episode is around 10 minutes and full of encouragement and great nuggets of wisdom. I hope you will be as blessed by it as I have been.

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  • Finding Significance, Identity in Christ

    Radically Loved

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    “Define yourself as one radically loved by God-this is your true self. All other identity is illusion” – Brennan Manning

    This quote by Brennan Manning is one of my all-time favorites. For some reason, the phrase “radically loved” just lands differently in my mind. It’s easy to take God’s love for granted the same way my kids take my love for granted. I’m always telling them I love them. They know it and sometimes even give me a playful eye roll if I get too gushy.

    God has told us over and over in the Bible how much he loves us. He shows us by providing for even our most basic needs. But do I stop to think about how radically loved I am by God? How do I even try to fathom that the same God who created the universe and all the incredible things in it, thought the world needed one of me too? Let alone that He would come to earth to walk the life I walk, and feel the emotions I feel, to reach into my situation and meet me in my need.

    For years I sought my identity from the acceptance of others. I’ve spent so much of my life being a people-pleaser so that I would feel accepted. I would worry all the time about what people thought about what I said or did. Over time, God has helped me see that He is enough. His opinion of me is enough. I could be set free from the winds and waves of people’s fickle emotions and opinions. I no longer needed to fret and worry about what others thought of me. For I learned to rest my identity securely in the hand of my Heavenly Father whose love doesn’t change. For He is love itself. As I leaned into the truth that no matter who chooses to loves me or doesn’t, or who accepts me or not; He always will and He calls me His beloved, His precious child!

    Do you struggle with fully accepting how radically loved you are by the God of the universe? Do you define yourself as one loved by God? Please know, dear friend, you are so radically loved by God. You are a beautiful masterpiece created by God himself. Allow this to be what defines you. Let’s us no longer find our identity in the illusions that others or the world would have us believe. Proudly proclaim today, “I am a daughter of a King, a precious child of God!” This is your true identity.

    “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” ~ 1 John 3:1

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