What defines you? What are the top five things that describe who you are?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines identity as, “The distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” Identity is the sum total of a person’s characteristics and everything they associate themselves with. This broad definition includes many sources of influence, which can be categorized as follows:
| External Factors | Internal Factors | Inherent Factors |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
As a Christian, identity is less about who you are in and of yourself and more about who God is and the life He calls you to live within the greater context of His eternal plan. When you became a Christian, you were given a new identity. Throughout the Bible, this new identity is referred to as being “in Christ.” Paul wrote that, “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (II Corinthians 5:17) What is the “new” that Paul talks about? It is our new identity.
Christian identity is informed by what God thinks of us and who He says we are.
Being “in Christ” means that:
We belong to God as adopted sons and daughters who are eternally forgiven, accepted, valued, and loved by Him.
This identity is a gift from God, paid for entirely by Christ’s death on the cross.
Our new identity is both static and dynamic. It’s static in the sense that as a believer, our eternal destiny and forgiveness from sin are secure. What makes it dynamic is that the journey through life as a Christian is designed by God to be a process of continual change and growth with the ultimate goal of being like Jesus - a goal that will only fully be reached once we get to heaven.
“If you believe that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving Creator,
in the image of God and redeemed by the Saviour who counted you worthy of His very life,
then your life will be rich with meaning, purpose, and passion.” (Reimer, 39)
Our identity can be influenced either negatively or positively by the factors listed on the previous page, and sometimes they are in conflict with each other. For example, internally I might be convinced that family is my number one priority in life. However, if spend the majority of my time at school and devote my weekends to working on projects and socializing with classmates, externally I’m demonstrating the opposite of what I think is true.
Metaphorically, identity is like the foundation of a building. In the book Soul Care, Rob Reimer says that “What you believe about yourself is the foundation of your life; it is your identity, and a faulty foundation will create cracks in the soul.” (Reimer, 36)
What are some ways that your identity is being influenced?
Is your identity a solid foundation or a shaky one?
Identity Wounds & Insecurities
We all have wounded identities. They’re wounded because of sin - committed by and/or against us - and because of lies that we believe. If we’re constantly struggling with feelings of insecurity, this is an indicator that our identity is on a shaky foundation. If we attach our identity to things that are moving targets, such as money, approval from other people, success, and/or relationships, what will we do when something goes wrong? When there’s a crisis? We desire a stable foundation, but “A stable sense of self cannot fully exist when we place our identity in external things. When circumstances change, our identity constantly changes too.” (Bible.org) The only lasting solution is to be grounded in God, the only One who is immutable - unchanging.
In light of who we are in Christ, why do we so often feel insecure? It is because we believe lies - about God, ourselves, and others. For example, instead of living in freedom and joyful obedience as a result of being saved by grace, we live in bondage to rules and laws thinking that we somehow need to earn our salvation. Or, instead of resting in the fact that we are loved and accepted by God, we believe condemning lies that say we are unlovable and He’s rejected us.
Three Core Identity Lies
Performance: Are you placing your value in how you perform? Symptoms that you are believing this lie include: defensiveness, constant comparison with others, unwilling to admit faults, and unwilling to try new things out of fear that you might fail.
People-pleasing: Are you placing your value in what others say about you? Symptoms that you are believing this lie include: inability to say “no” to others, hypersensitive to criticism, intense feelings of guilt everytime you disappoint someone, anxiety, putting up walls and portraying a false sense of self so that others will approve of you.
Control: Are you placing your value in your ability to control things in your life? Symptoms you are believing this lie include: extreme emotional response when things don’t go “your way”, reluctance to do anything out of your comfort zone, obsessive/compulsive behaviours, and ongoing fears about your life.
“God designed insecurity to be examined in order that we might escape danger. That’s why it’s a mercy. This kind of insecurity is a God-gauge in our soul. It’s reporting to us that something is wrong with what we hear God or some other god telling us about who we are. Either a true belief is being challenged and perhaps refined, or a false belief is finally being exposed.” (DG, 6)
Rebuilding a Damaged Identity
When we feel insecure, we need to have honest and prayerful reflections about what we’re believing. Here are some steps you can take to work on what you believe about yourself:
Recognize the lies
What are some symptoms that indicate you are believing lies?
What lies are they and how are they influencing your thoughts, words, and behaviours?
Redirect your thoughts to what it means to be “in Christ”
Your value is in who you are in Christ - not your performance, relationships, appearance, control, and/or what you own. “You have to combat the lies of your soul with the truth of God at the precise moments when the lies come knocking on your door. You have to hold on to the truth with a relentless, steely resolve that will permanently shift the foundation under your feet from a lie to the truth that your value is settled at the cross.” (Reimer, 65)
Remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside you and will illuminate your path if you ask for His help.
Are you listening for the Holy Spirit’s voice? The Spirit will never say anything contrary to Scripture, Scripture is the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Are you believing the words of comfort and assurance that He speaks to your soul? (Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:16)
You won’t hear the Holy Spirit if your life is full of noise - busyness, constant interruptions (e.g. from your phone!), and not taking time in quietness before God.
Faulty foundations will blind us to the truth, and we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes.
Respond with courage
Whatever you’re facing may seem daunting and maybe even risky. Your trust and confidence must be in the Lord to carry you through - even if it goes against what you’re feeling in the moment. “The more consistently you catch yourself standing on a faulty foundation and use that as an opportunity to renew your mind, the more secure the true foundation will become under your feet and the healthier your soul will be.” (Reimer, 62)
Encouraging Quotes
“If we lived out of an identity based on how God sees us, we would no longer feel the need to find our worth in our external circumstances. It would free us up to live in a confident and stable manner, instead of changing who we are based on others, the jobs we receive or don’t receive, how we see ourselves, and all the other ways we try to define our significance. It would give us the opportunity to experience God’s unconditional love for us in new and fresh ways. And it would allow us to confidently and boldly share His love with others.” (Cru.org)
Insecurity is, “An invitation from God to escape the danger of false beliefs about who we are and find true peace in who He is.” (DG, 1)
“Who do you believe has the greatest power to determine who you are and what you are worth? That is your god.” (DG, 6)
“The issue of your value is settled at the cross. This is the truth that you must hold on to.” (Reimer, 59)
Sources
Bible.org
https://bible.org/seriespage/session-7-identity-christ
Cru.org
Desiring God (DG)
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-we-never-find-our-identity-inside-of-ourselves
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-god-thinks-about-you
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lay-aside-the-weight-of-insecurity
Soul Care, Dr. Rob Reimer
Spiritual Resilience, Quick Series Publishing Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment