Who Am I?

Feeling fully and uniquely loved isn't easy for anyone.  I have been struggling with this lately and I've found that it's easy to just accept God's love in my mind without realizing it in my heart.  I have been told that He loves me, but what does that mean?  What does that look like?

Being adored in today's society leaves me feeling pretty empty.  We are conditioned to believe that if we look good in the most fashionable clothes and have perfect skin and if we are endlessly bubbly and full of smiles, we will be loved.  Countless times I look in the mirror and feel like less of a person because I'm just not up to par.  Countless times I force a smile and put on the daily disguise just to be cruelly reminded that my smile could always be a tad bit bigger.  I could always have just a couple more friends.  My body could always look a little more like Jennifer Aniston's.  By the world's standards, I am never enough.  My identity has been lost and stolen and changed to meet the standards of so many different people.  So who am I?

In Christ...

I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am a child of God. (John 1:12)

I am part of the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I am an heir. (Romans 8:17)

I am a friend of Jesus. (John 15:15)

I am God's temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

I am more than a conqueror. (!!!) (Romans 8:37)

I am chosen. (Ephesians 1:11)

I am for the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:12)

I am a light. (Ephesians 5:8)

I am set free. (John 8:31)

I am forgiven. (Ephesians 1:7)

I am His workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

These words tell us that our concerns, though valid, are irrelevant.  It doesn't matter how straight my teeth are or how unnaturally deep my voice is. His love is the found in the beautiful fact that we cannot escape our identity in Him.  As children, He knows we are inclined to drift far away, but that couldn't stop our generous and omnipotent father!  He invites us daily to come running back to Him and beg Him to show us all that we are.  He has made us to be totally enough and God wants us to be satisfied FULLY in the truth!  Satan feeds us lies about how to find fulfillment, and by recognizing the fact that any identity found outside of Christ is a lie, we are taking away all the power from the devil.  Our unique personality, body type, skin color, passions, and talents are all gifts sent directly from God so that we may help bring His radiant light to the world!   Let us discern God's truth from Satan's lies and feel secure in our identity in Christ.  Let us be the mismatched and broken, yet perfectly made, hands and feet for our awesome God!