Our Identity in Christ Is Certain

This newsletter is all about encouraging us, as Christians, to understand, fully embrace, and live who we are in Jesus. That’s not always easy when circumstances, feelings, habits, and emotions are at odds with our true identity.

I want to encourage you today to stand on the promises of God and remember Whose you are and who you are (Ephesians 2:10). You may have to remind yourself every hour, minute, or even second sometimes… I know I have at times. And that’s OK. We are God’s masterpiece and sometimes everything we experience is at odds with that.

I run my own business and I’ve been going through a particularly difficult season. A couple of weeks ago, I had just had enough. Nothing was going well, no money was coming in for all my hard work, I didn’t see any light at the end of this tunnel, and I was just D.O.N.E.

I felt stressed and discouraged. That old record player… er sorry (I’m old!), internal livestream or podcast I’d listened to all my life started playing in my mind again… “I’m a horrible entrepreneur“, “ I can’t get through this“ , “I just don’t have what it takes“, and it was stuck on loop.

While some of that might be true, that’s not who I am and when I concentrate on those thoughts and feelings, I’m denying my position and authority in Christ (Galatians 2:20, 1Peter 2:9)

Our mindset can make or break us. If you think you can’t do something, you’re probably right, and you wouldn’t be the only one. The Bible is full of people who were convinced they couldn’t do what God was asking them to do.

Moses, Gideon, Joshua, Peter, Paul, etc. Each one of these heroes of faith started off fearful and without confidence because they didn’t grasp the incredible power of who they were in God.

It’s a good thing for us that God persisted and is faithful so they didn’t stay in that mindset. Instead, they eventually believed God and stepped out in faith. Great things happened as a result, and I’m confident great things will happen in each of our lives when we step out in the same faith they had… to trust God (1Peter 1:21); trust His promises (Psalms 100:5); trust His love (Psalms 136:1); trust His power (Genesis 1:1); trust His Word (Luke 1:37).

It’s only human to be fearful, afraid or nervous about moving forward when we can’t see it happening ahead. Luckily for us, we have the God of the universe telling us who we are and what authority He’s given us to complete the things that He has planned for us.

Let’s make it a point to remind ourselves who we are in Christ when we are faced with fears, insecurity, and things that don’t go our way. 

I spent a few days in my pity party. I went to church that Saturday and even though the worship songs were speaking directly to where I was at, that old record was still playing.

I went to church again the next morning to watch a friend of mine play on the worship team for the first time. I opened the door a crack for God to remind me of who I am and then I remembered and accepted it, and all that nonsense melted away.

My circumstances were the same, I just remembered that the God of the universe is my Dad and I am His child. He’s given us promises and authority as His children. When we don’t step out in that identity and authority, we let other things define and rule over us.

I encourage you to remember and accept who you are in Christ every morning, and as many times throughout your day as needed to combat the feelings, lies, and the pressures of living in a broken world. Jesus has overcome the world! (John 16:33, 1 John 4:4)