Are you living up to God's plan for you?
Are you using your God-given talents to glorify Him?
When I begin to think about my identity in Christ I think of how the world sees me, how I see me and how God sees me.
Does it matter how the world sees me? In the big picture, NO. But it doesn't mean I don't still concern myself with how my friends {or complete strangers} view me. If I raise my voice at my kids, I know God has already forgiven me, my kids still love me, but will my friend think I'm a bad mom?
Where I believe world view matters is the ever important questions: Does my life glorify my Heavenly Father? Do my day to day actions reflect that I am a follower of Christ? Because these things are important!
Does it matter how I see me? Again, in the big scheme of things, NO. When I get inside my own head and make camp, I find I want to change myself. When I get onto myself for an action or thought I have to ask, are these thoughts condemnation from the enemy or convictions from the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1 tells us "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (ESV) Thus I have to take out the condemning part of the thought and focus on how I can better my attitude and my actions to fit in my walk with Christ.
The truth and the most important identity question is: How does God see me? After all, He made me! He gave me a chance to redeem my life and start anew.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) {Interesting note, NIV, NLT and ISV end the sentence with an exclamation point, I like that!}
Thank God {literally} that I am not judged, especially on things I did when I was younger!
Parts of my identity I need to remember:
I am a new creation.
Made by God.
My Heavenly Father.
I am in Christ.
I am forgiven.
God has a plan for me.
He has given me specific talents that I may fulfill my purpose.
God made me a mother, that's important. Someone thinking I raise my voice too much at my kids, not important. My feeling convicted to treat my children as God treats me, thus raising my voice less and less, important.
I want to fulfill God's purpose for me, even if I don't know what that is. God made me a mother, there's something special there. God made me a sister and a friend, there's purpose in these. He gave me the ability to write and to think with a critical mind. Where these fall into His plan for me, I don't yet know.
I know He made me,
He calls me Daughter.
He is the King of Kings,
My Heavenly Father.
I am a Princess!
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My amazing 5 year-old daughter has accepted Jesus as her Savior and decided to live for Christ. In her words, "not because you and Daddy want me to, but because I love Jesus. I've know God since I was a baby."
My sister suggested I now begin to teach her about her identity in Christ and I thought it was a great time to remind me of mine.
