Discovering Your God-Given Identity
If I asked you to describe yourself in 3 sentences, what immediately comes to mind?
For some it could be what you’re good at - singer, athlete, gamer. Or perhaps your profession - teacher, engineer, spy. Maybe you’d respond with your horoscope sign - I’m a Pisces, she a Taurus***
Point is, we naturally respond with so many labels. Whether that be what we have placed on ourselves, or what we have taken in from other people, we’re going to challenge this mindset. Together we’re going to take a moment and pivot our thinking to see that these labels that we have clung to aren’t the whole story, or even the most important of all, but rather that what matters most is the identity God has given us.
The Power of your God-given identity
The power of your God-given identity is that it cannot be taken away from you. You are not who you say you are. You are not who this world says you are. You are who God says you are. That does not change. When we begin to discover ourselves in the eyes of the One who created us, we’ll realize all things said against your identity is simply noise.
I myself am such an achievement driven person. For a long time, my value directly correlated with my accomplishments. Whether it be in school, sports, or relationships, I needed to be the best. I got the best grades. I excelled in different sports. If I wasn’t the favorite friend or worker, I would do everything in my power to get them to like me. But in the course of a year, God allowed all those things to be stripped away. I was placed in a position where I couldn’t move forward in my goals. The people I trusted, held near and dear to my heart simply left. And it was just me and God.
I remember taking my anger-prayer-walk around my park and literally screaming “Now what, Lord? I’ve been stripped to my core.” But in the pain of being stripped came the beauty of having nothing left but God – I was now with the only one who would never fail me.
In the coming months, God revealed to me how much of myself had been taken away from my own false values. I had let the poison of achievement and the praises of people put to death my identity and purpose. I remember one moment that God showed me the truth of it all. In Luke 8:54, there is the story of a little girl who is declared dead, but Jesus enters the room, takes her by the hand and says to her “little girl, I say to you arise, talitha cumi” And 2000 years later, reading His words brought me back to life.
I was dead for so long. With my purpose set on what the world expected of me, rooted in the temporal things it had to offer. But in reading those two words - talitha cumi - God restored my identity.
I was so much more than what I could accomplish here on earth. I was so much more than people said. Who He called me to be, the things He entrusted me to do rested in the perfectly crafted identity he placed in me, and is meant for eternity. And so it is for you.
Tips on uncovering your God-given Identity
It’s sometimes difficult to fully grasp how unique you are. Which is totally understandable. We see ourselves everyday, hang out with ourselves 24/7, so it’s natural that we take for granted the identity God has placed in us. But we are meant to understand the things that we are into, the things that bother us, the interests, disinterests, natural comings are all precisely intertwined into who God’s made you to be. So how do you discover that?
1. Check with God!
If someone brings you food, and you want to know what’s in it, you obviously ask the person who gave it to you. In the same way, to figure out what’s in you, we go to our Creator (Genesis 1:27)
2. Get in on the word.
The word of God is TRUTH. The bible can come across as such a huge, intimidating book, but think about it as the ultimate love letter from God, telling you all the amazing things about you! When you read it, God shows you these unchangable things about your character that no one can take away from you. You are chosen (1 Peter 2:9). You are loved (Roman’s 8:28). You are made for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10)
3. Date yourself all over again.
When you go on a date, or even if you have a crush, you become very aware of the little things. Do that with yourself. What is it that you like? What is it that bothers you? What are your quirks, things you find yourself doing for hours? Things that people seem to have a grasp on and you completely suck at it?
It is our prayer that this month allows you to begin to fall in love with God and how beautifully He’s created you! If you want to talk about discovering your identity, or even update us on who God says you are, feel free to dm us on Instagram @baecollective.sd or email us at kamusta.bae@gmail.com.
xx,
Jo
***P.S. we’ll send you a prize if you DM (@baecollective.sd) with the title of those song lyrics!