The devil originated identity theft. He came to steal, kill, and destroy all that we are in Christ. The thoughts that the devil whispers into our ears shapes us for years.
My mother had eight brothers and sisters, and I had 36 – 1st cousins alone. We were a close-knit family that gave a lot of input in my life.
Things that my aunts and uncles said about me:
- Susan, what a personality you have, you are never serious, but a lot of fun.
- Your brother is the smart one, and you have the personality.
Now I’m sure that they didn’t mean anything negative about my intellect, but all through high school, college, and even as a young adult, I struggled with my intelligence. Words have a way of influencing the way we see ourselves, both good and bad. In understanding and owning our identity in Christ, the most significant roadblocks are the lies you believe. Replace what people say about you with what God says. You are not who people say you are or who you feel you are. You are who HE says you are.
- Maybe you feel poor: He says, “I am blessing you with every spiritual blessing in heaven.” (Eph.1:3)
- Maybe you feel that your life is a mess: He says, “You are forgiven; anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.” The old you has gone, the new you has come. (2 Cor. 5:17)
- Maybe you feel unwanted: He says, “Before the foundations of the earth, I chose you.” (Isa. 51:13)
- Maybe you feel worthless: He says, “I have crowned you with glory and honor, He says, “I found such value in you that I died for you.” (Hebrews 2:7-9)
- Maybe you feel like nobody cares about you: He says, “Cast all your cares on me because I care for you.” (I Peter 5:7)
I miss Pluto, you know, the planet. When I was a kid, there were nine planets in our solar system. In 2006, Pluto lost its status as a planet. I was thinking about Pluto’s change in stature when it dawned on me; Pluto has not changed! The same God that created Pluto still holds it together. Nothing has changed in Pluto’s substance or composition. Someone that has never been to Pluto doesn’t call it a planet anymore.
I bet you are a lot like Pluto. For better or worse, we have allowed someone who doesn’t know us – someone who lives trillions of miles away – to define us. We receive the world’s labels and live at the mercy of everyone else’s definition. We trade the truth we know about ourselves for a lie and go on living mislabeled. How can we halt this orbit of lies? How can we respond when some of the unfortunate labels the world sticks to our chests are true? Only God can define you.
Replacing what people have said about us with what God says about us is the key to recovering our identity.
- You are His child. John 1:12
- You are free. Gal. 5:1
- You have been redeemed. Eph. 1:7
- You have been and will be restored. Col. 1:13
- You have been and can be forgiven. Heb. 10:17
That’s not all –
- He has your name written on the palm of his hand. Isa. 49:16
- It is your name – yours! Which He has called ‘mine.’ Isa. 43:1
- It is your head which He numbers each strand of hair, and your tears He keeps counts. Mt. 10:29-31, Ps. 56:8
- It was for you He died while you were yet a sinner. Rm. 5:8
My prayer is that you will never forget these words of the Lord and that these words will shape you. You are not who people say you are. You are not even who you say you are. You are who HE says you are. Maybe somebody said something to you, and you cannot get it out of your head. That recording in your mind and having it on instant repeat affects your identity more than you think. What lies has the devil told you lately?
