Who are you in Christ?  Are you confused about your identity?  Do the circumstances of your birth define you?  Are you the bad things your parents may have said about you?  Are you the sum of your past failures and mistakes?  Are you the reject the bullies at school said you are?  Are you the lies and rumors that were spread about you?  Are you who your enemies say you are?  Are you defined by your successes and achievements?  Does the death of your spouse alter your identity?

Step One:  Ask Forgiveness

The first step to finding your true identity is to ask God to forgive you for your past mistakes.  First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  If you haven’t already done so, ask Jesus to forgive you for your sins and to live in your heart.  Invite Him to be your Lord (Master).  When you do this, you become a new creature in Christ!   Second Corinthians 5:17 (King James Version in the Bible) says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.”  If you prayed for God to forgive you for your sins (mistakes) and you believe that Jesus died on the cross around 2,000 years ago to forgive each of us humans for the sins we have committed, you are a new creature!  The old selfish you was crucified on the cross with Jesus!  He is now alive again, and He will help you to live a life of love like He does!

Step Two:  Know Your True Identity

The real you was designed by God before the foundation (“throwing down”) of the world.  Ephesians 1:4-5 (New Internation Version) tells us, “For he [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestinated us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.”  You were predestined to be adopted by God to be His son or daughter!  Acts 17:28 says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.  As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'”  You, my friend, are God’s offspring!  Your identity is not based on the circumstances in which you were born.  You are not defined by bad things your parents, bullies, slanderers, and enemies said!  Your worth does not change if your spouse dies!  God is your Creator, and He has given you a wonderful identity in Christ!  Read Psalm 139 for some real encouragement about who you are.  The second half of verse 14 of that chapter says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made….”  No matter what identity issues you may be facing, you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God!

Step Three:  Receive His Love

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Who you are is loved by God!!!  THAT is your identity!  His love will heal any guilt, shame, pain, or fear you feel!  His love will inspire confidence and boldness.  Proverbs 28:1b (KJV) says, “…the righteous are bold as a lion.”  Psalm 18:35 (KJV) says, “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation; Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.”  Your identity is not a loser when you know God.  Neither are your successes the basis of your identity!  When God is on your side, His gentleness makes you great!  You are highly favored!   …No matter what anybody else says, good or bad.  That includes the devil!

Step Four:  Resist the Devil

The devil will remind you of past failures.  He will lie to you about your identity.  He will tell you that you are rejected and hopeless and that life isn’t worth living.  He is called “the accuser of the brethren” in Revelation 12:10.  The devil is a bully, but Jesus is your Big Brother who will protect you from him!  James 4:7 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  Get close to Jesus, and He will give you authority over the devil in your life and in the lives of those around you.

Step Five:  Humble Yourself

James 4:6b says, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  We need God in order to be great.  We are not great in ourselves, no matter how many achievements we have under our belts.  Our identity is not found in our successes.  None of us are “self-made men.”

On the one hand, there is great big God.  On the other hand, there are us.  Compared to Him, we are just little people.  We are not more important or worth more to God than somebody else.

We need to humble our hearts before God.  If we don’t feel humble, but want to, we can ask Him for a humble heart.  He will gladly give it to us.

Some people take humility too far.  They think that we are nothing to God, not important at all, that only Jesus matters.  Jesus didn’t die for “nothings”!  He considered you to be so precious to Him that He gave His precious life and blood so that He wouldn’t have to spend an eternity without you!  There is no higher price He could have paid than His own life and blood, other than when His fellowship with the Father was suspended on the cross for a few hours.  He paid that price for you!  You matter to God!  You are not just the “toenail” on the Bride of Christ!

 The truth is that each of us humans is precious and irreplaceable to God!!!  That is our identity!  We are children of God and individually brides of Jesus!

I addressed this issue also on pages 8-9 in A Romantic Journey With Jesus: Commentary On The Song Of Solomon – Bride Of Jesus Ministry.  I encourage you to read this paragraph talking about how your identity is a bride of Jesus!

Do you struggle with identity issues?  Let me know how I can pray for you!  I myself have certainly struggled in this area!  Post a comment below or click the conversation bubble above.  If you would prefer to keep this private, fill out the contact form on the Contact page and send me your comment!