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As followers of Jesus I think one of the biggest challenges we face, and one I can certainly come up against, is knowing and remembering how God sees you, how he feels about you and what God thinks about you. And when I say know, I am not talking about just intellectual or head knowledge, but really believing what God has declared about you. If you have been following Jesus for any length of time and you have read the Bible, I am pretty certain you have head knowledge about what God says about you through his Word. You may even be able to recite verses. But there is a huge difference between knowing what God says and receiving it, believing him, and living like it’s true!
When you don’t live from the truth that God has already spoken about you, it causes a whole lot of problems. It keeps you from living the life that Christ died to give you. Your life hinges on what you believe. And Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” You simply cannot live the full and abundant life in Jesus if you don’t realize, fully receive, embrace, and strive to take hold of what your identity is in Christ. And throughout your lifetime on earth this will be one of the biggest battles you and I face, which means we need daily reminders.
As you remind yourself and re-ground your identity with the authority of God’s Word, the bottom line is this: It is God who has the first and final say on who you are. Your past does not get the final say.
What a parent or teacher said about you when you were a kid does not get the final say.
Anything you have done or anything that has been done to you does not define you and does not get the final say. Your failure, your sin, your successes, circumstances do not get the final say. Your thoughts about yourself, and what others say about you do not get the final say. What the culture tries to get you to believe about yourself and conform to does not get the final say.
None of these voices have any authority in or power over your life. Because as a follower of Jesus you are a child of God, and you were made in the image of a holy God.
All too often we can let our past, our circumstances, other people’s judgements or perspectives of us dictate who we are. While harsh, cruel and mean words may have been spoken over you or your past may be less than picture perfect, they don’t define you. And I declare right now that in the name of Jesus every word that does not align with the living and active Word of God has lost its power over you.
As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” When Paul writes these words in his letter to the believers in Corinth it is a strong exhortation, a warning that any and every teaching, word, or thought that does not align with God’s thoughts are to be torn down, held captive, submitted to and brought under the authority of Jesus. So when your thoughts, someone’s thoughts about you, or the world’s thoughts are not in agreement with your creator, the Lord God almighty himself, it is time to take action. Ask yourself, “Am I getting captured by my thoughts or am I taking my thoughts captive?” Your thoughts, consciously and unconsciously, will take root in your mind and heart unless you take them captive and cancel them out, replacing them with truth.
The other day I had a conversation with someone who had some pretty unkind things to say to me and when the call ended I felt an overwhelming sense of shame. Her words caused me to really doubt my skills. I felt like a failure. My mind started a downward spiral as I began to question my gifts and my calling. This 45-minute conversation jolted me and put my confidence on shaky ground. I allowed her opinions to have power over me and infiltrate my heart and mind. I ruminated on faulty words rather than focusing on what is true. I fixated on her criticism of me rather than fixing my eyes on Jesus and recalling his thoughts about me.
In these moments we have to ask ourselves, “God what is true? How do you see me?” This rattling showed me that I can still have a tendency to base my worth and identity on what people think of me. One of my biggest fears is being inadequate. I am driven by performance and being competent, wanting people to like me and think well of my capabilities. The impact this conversation had on me was like a check engine light on the dashboard of a car. It was alerting me of where I was temporarily misplacing my identity; in my performance and what others say about me, and not on the perspective of and solid foundation in Christ.
Where do you place your identity? Maybe you base your identity on things like success, wealth, power, your relational status, your job or title at work. You might place your worth in your physical appearance, your spouse or kids, how busy you are or how many people like your social media posts! When you place your identity in anything other than God you are up for great disappointment. A sudden job loss could leave you doubting your value. One piece of gossip aimed your way can debilitate you. Another thing that can mess with your identity is comparison. We can have a tendency to measure ourselves up against other people and their accomplishments rather than being grateful for the way God has uniquely gifted and called you.
I have friends with Harvard degrees, letters after their name, millions of dollars in their bank accounts, huge houses and social media fame. And you know what. It is very tempting for me to feel inadequate when I make other people my standard. Who or what are you comparing yourself to? Maybe you look at your friends who have bigger roles, job titles, and paychecks and that messes with your identity and worth. Or you are a mom, and you compare yourself to other moms who keep Instagram worthy homes, beautifully decorated while you are tripping over toys and can barely get dinner on the table after a long day’s work. Comparing yourself to other people is a dead-end street. I have heard it said that comparison is the thief of joy. It is also the thief of your calling because if you are so fixated on feeling inadequate because you do not think you measure up to some false standard you will miss out on the gifts and talents God has uniquely created you to put to use for his glory.
We try to gain our significance from our achievements, and God’s economy and valuation turns the world’s upside down. You do not have to hustle for your worth because your value is not determined by what you do or who you are but by whose you are!
And you are made in the image of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords which makes you royalty! It’s time to rediscover your true identity and let go of the self that seeks self-worth from other people, by doing things, achieving things, and feels a need to prove things. Because it’s so easy to fall into that trap and they do not identify you.
You have to remember that you have an enemy who wants to distract you and even worse take you out with thoughts that are untrue about who you are. We all have core beliefs that cause harmful consequences. It only takes a fraction of a second for the enemy to whisper lies and for you to fall hook line and sinker with words such as:
- You don’t measure up.
- You will never amount to anything.
- You are unqualified.
- You are not likable or loveable.
- You’re a failure.
- -You’re worthless.
- -You’re all alone.
- -Your sin can’t be forgiven.
- -You’re not smart enough, funny enough, thin enough, attractive enough.
I call a foul because that way of thinking goes against the very thoughts of God! When accusations come, who will you believe? Have some responses ready when the enemy attacks.
- “I am a child of God.”
- “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”
- “I am the beloved of God in Christ Jesus.”
- “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
- “I am called by God and kept for Christ.”
- “God I am so loved by you!”
You’ve got to repeat these things to yourself and say them out loud! And get yourself into a position of worship. Don’t come up against lies in your own strength but battle them with praising God, the one who calls you by name. Live as one beloved, dearly loved by God. Because you are.
You will not always feel beloved but be determined to not be formed by your feelings but hold fast to what is true. Don’t believe everything you think. Don’t believe everything you feel. You are not your thoughts. You are not your feelings.
In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
Don’t live by what you feel, live by what you know. Live by what the Word of God says. I am not saying it is easy. This will take discipline on your part.
So, how do we live from truth? By not being obedient, compliant, or in agreement with thoughts that are informed by the world or someone else’s point of view, including your own. But instead, thinking God’s thoughts after him, which requires that we renew our minds with his Word.
A few years ago I created what I call a “truth card” that has a list of God’s character as well as Bible verses to remind me who I am in Jesus. It’s part of my artillery that I use to fight back when lies try to consume me. It’s a line of defense but also a line of offense and training my mind to dwell on what is true.
In order to remember who you are and live as the dearly loved child of God that you are, it is important that you recall the character of God, the one who created you and loves you, first.
There are no shortcuts to experiencing transformation in our minds and lives. We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17).
Here is what is true about God, your Heavenly Father:
God is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. He is personal and all-powerful. God is omnipresent. He is always with you. He is all-knowing and sovereign. He is in control and nothing can thwart his plans. God is holy. God is absolute truth. God is love. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He is merciful, and faithful. God never changes. God is kind. He is the Prince of Peace. He is infinite. He is your provider and protector. He is your Jehovah-Nissi who gives you victory in Christ Jesus. He is wise. He is your El -Shaddai, all sufficient and Lord almighty. He is your comforter. Jesus is your Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Restorer. He is your strength. His Holy Spirit is your power, your counselor, your guide and your intercessor.
A.W. Tozer, a well-known pastor and author says, “What comes to mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.” What you believe about who God is will inform what you believe about yourself.
Now hear what your Creator says about you. And visualize the face of Jesus.
You are God’s Daughter. You are God’s son. (John 1:12)
You are a saint. (1 Corinthians 1:2)
You bear God’s image. (Genesis 1:27)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
You are justified and accepted by God through Christ. (Romans 5:1)
Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. (Romans 8:35)
God is for you. (Romans 8:31)
You have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
You are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus. This is not because of anything you have done or earned; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
You are being protected by God’s power through faith. (1 Peter 1:5)
Your old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer you who lives, but Christ lives in you. (Galatians 2:20)
You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In Jesus you lack nothing. (Ephesians 1:3)
You are complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:9-10)
You are free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
The Holy Spirit helps you in your weakness and intercedes for you. (Romans 8:26)
God works all things for your good. (Romans 8:28)
You are loved by God to the core of your being. (Colossians 3:12)
You are completely accepted. (1 Peter 2:9)
You are blessed and surrounded by the favor of God.
You are deeply loved and highly favored. (Psalm 5:12)
God delights in you and rejoices over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
You are God’s friend. (John 15:15)
You are accepted. You are adopted. (Ephesians 1:5)
You do not have the spirit of fear. You have the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
You have been redeemed by Jesus and all of your sins are completely forgiven. (Ephesians 1:7)
You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. You are an overcomer and victor in Christ! (Romans 8:11, 37)
You are chosen and holy. When God looks at you he sees his treasured possession. (1 Peter 2:9)
You have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:1-3)
Take the time to meditate on his Word. As Psalm 1 says,
“Blessed is the one whose delight is in the Law of the Lord, who meditates on it day and night.”