The Power of Identity

The other day my daughter told me about a woman who believes she is a cat. It seems safe to say that the attack against identity is running rampant. It also seems safe to say that discovering our true identity is on the Lord’s heart.

Recently, at a routine doctor’s visit, two of the questions they are required to verbally ask, surprised me:

1.     Are you a female, male, or other?

2.     How would you like us to refer to you: she, he, or other?

After I laughed and made sure they weren’t asking because they couldn’t tell the answer, it hit me—lack of identity has become an epidemic. Confusion about who we really are, is so acceptable that society pats us on the back and tells us it’s normal to be perplexed. But God is very clear about our identity and He longs for us to be, as well.

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Discovering who we are and how the Lord sees us, are life-altering truths. They affect our calling and our entire outlook on life. In a world that bombards us with voices that tell us to feel confident and strong in who we are, it offers no foundation strong enough to last through eternity. Only God’s belief about us can fulfill the longing of our soul. Only His truth will stand the test of time.

Many are searching for their purpose, not realizing that until they are secure in their identity, their purpose is often veiled in obscurity. When we derive both our identity and purpose from what He says about us, we will live in confidence, peace, and joy.

So how do you discover your identity? More than anything else, by cultivating a lifestyle of intimacy with the Lord. Acquainting yourself with the sound of His voice, tuning in constantly to what He says about you, and ignoring anything that is contrary to truth—even your own thoughts. Everything changes when you realize how loved and valued you are.

Make it a habit to pay attention to what comes out of your mouth. If it doesn’t agree with the way God sees you, replace the lie with the truth. Make a list of the things God says about you in His Word and remind yourself, often. When you embrace truth, it pierces the deepest places of your being and radically changes your relationship with God and how you see yourself.

Here are a handful of meditations to get you started:

·       You are loved. (John 3:16)

·       You have a hope and a purpose. (Jeremiah 29:11)

·       You are the apple of God’s eye. (Psalms 17:8)

·       You are a friend of God. (John 15:15)

·       You are an overcomer. (Romans 8:37)

·       You are complete in Him. (Colossians 2:10)

·       You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

·       You are God’s voice in this earth. (Jeremiah 1:9)

·       You are God’s masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10)

·       You are perfect. (Colossians 1:28)