Galatians 2:19-21
“ … I identified myself completely with HIM. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, & I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine”, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & have himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.”
The dictionary defines “identity” as this: “the characteristics that distinguish them from others”.
Knowing who you are & what sets you apart from others is so important.
When you loose sight of what makes you, you… that’s when things start to get messy. Not knowing who you are is kind of like running into battle without a weapon, senseless & foolish. We need to better equip ourselves with the sword of the Spirit so that we are grounded in our faith & know truth from lies. (Eph. 6:16-17)
How often have we stood in front of the mirror & called ourselves worthless, stupid, and unloveable?
Too many times to count.
The truth, the real good news is that you are created with intention.
How do we find our identity?
Well.. let’s start by asking the One who made us. The One who formed every hair on our heads, every unique part of our eyes. The One who made you with an incredible gift for athleticism, or the ability to sing like an angel. Lets take a moment to ask the One who made you what He thinks about you.
He says:
You are “unique” // (Psalm 129:13)
You are “loved” // (Jeremiah 31:3)
You are “precious” // (1 Corinthians 6:20)
You are “protected” // (Psalm 121:3-6)
You are “chosen” // (John 15:16)
You are “family” // (Ephesians 2:19)
Your identity in Christ can NEVER be taken away from you. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, this is who GOD says you are. Your identity in HIM is permanent (unlike this world that we live in which constantly changes).
Your identity is in Christ … even when you fail a test, or fail at work, or fail in general.
Your identity is in Christ … even when you sit alone at lunch, or on the bus, or at church.
Your identity is in Christ … even if you are shamed by your friends & family for believing in HIM.
Your identity is in Christ … even when you fall back into old harmful, sinful behavior.
Galatians 2:19-21 says “ … I identified myself completely with HIM. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, & I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine”, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me & have himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.”
When was the last time you lived like you knew you were valuable? When was the last time you lived like you knew you were loved, & knew that someone thought so highly of you that they would sacrifice anything and everything for you?
You only have one identity and it is found in Christ. Stop looking for your identity in the world & start finding it in Him, because it is only in Hime where your true identity resides.