Too often we use other people as our point of reference for how we feel about ourselves and how we see ourselves. We allow almost everything (culture, society, fashion, etc.) and everyone else (people) to dictate to us as to whether we should like ourselves or not, and then we adopt their perceptions of us as our own. It could be your parents, siblings, husband, wife, teachers, classmates, your boss or co-workers… so many people with different opinions that determine whether they accept you or not.
What we don’t stop to think about is the fact that the same people who form opinions and judge us by our appearance, our abilities, and our successes and failures, are people who are also suffering from their own identity crisis as well. In other words, the one who is harshly critical and judgmental of you is also very likely dealing with judgment in their own lives and struggling with their identity and personal insecurities.
However, the only reliable source of our identity is God! He created each one of us. You are not a mistake. You were lovingly designed by Your Creator and He loved you so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for you, and He transforms our lives through His Holy Spirit! When we seek after Him, and allow Him to define our identity, we stand on a sure foundation for our lives. When we establish our identity in how God
sees us, we can confidently live every day in the assurance of His perfect plan for our lives.
Knowing who you are in Christ, and how God sees you, is an important part of living the abundant life that Jesus talked about. If you don’t know who you are and the value God has placed on you, then you can easily fall victim to other people telling you who you are, and THEY may not be holding your best interests at heart or treating you in very high esteem due to their own issues and insecurities.
Yet the Gospel truth is that YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE. No one else has a vote.
What you need to do is abandon any image of yourself that is not from God. Stop hurting yourself, criticizing yourself, putting yourself down, and calling yourself names. Stop it! Stop accepting what others have said about you, how you’ve been labeled, and how others have defined you.
You are not defined by the opinions of others.
You are not defined by your circumstances.
You are not defined by your feelings.
You are not defined by your successes or failures.
You are defined by God alone. He identifies you as His own (2 Corinthians 1:22).
You are identified with Christ and you are God’s precious child.
Study in the Word of God what He says about you, how much He loves you, how pleased He is with you, and how He defines you. This will not only draw you into deeper relationship with Him but your faith will also grow stronger as you focus on your identity in Christ Jesus.
As a Christian believer, read through the New Testament, and for this exercise, focus on the Epistles (the letters to the Church). (The Epistles are letters written to you the believer.) As you read, look for all expressions such as, "in Christ," "in Him," "in Whom," "through Whom," etc. Underline these expressions, or perhaps write them on a piece of paper or in a notebook. Look for Scriptures that tell you who you are, or what you are, or what you have because you are "in Christ."
When you have collected these scriptures and written them down, study and meditate on them. How do you do this? You research and read in the Word of God. Google “identity in Christ Scriptures” online and do a study on the Scripture verses. Look them up in www.biblegateway.com and compare them in different versions.
Look them up in your own Bibles. Read them silently and aloud. Meditate on them; chew (mentally) on them. Think about them. Memorize the Scriptures that really speak to you or touch your heart and your spirit. Ask the Lord to give you revelation and understanding of them. Write them on index cards or post-it notes, and stick them where you can see them every day!
As you read them, begin to think and say aloud, "This is who I am, and this is what I am, and this is what I have, in Christ."
Don’t let the fact that you feel something is NOT TRUE of you YET, stop you. Do not let this stop you. The fact is you, the person (insert name here) are comprised of a spirit, soul and body. God’s Word tells you who and how you are, and God’s Word does not lie. According to Scripture, when you accept Jesus Christ, God re-creates your spirit. Your spirit is brand new and it is like Jesus. It is perfect. So the Word of God you are reading IS TRUE OF YOU, the REAL YOU, your spirit.
But your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions, and your body, are not yet perfect. The way you develop them is to study and meditate in the Word of God. God knows this; that's why He's given you His Word. By doing so, the perfect state of your spirit will begin to extend to the external you. You may not even notice the changes taking place immediately. You may just get up one day and realize that individual at work who used to aggravate you to distraction, no longer bothers you. You feel peace, even love toward them. This is the power of the Word of God. This is the power of meditating in the Word of God.
For example, because I used to suffer with a lot of fear and worry, and often felt inadequate, and worried about having enough to live on, a few of my favorites that I meditate on are the following:
I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13).
My God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).
There is nothing better than the Word of God to soothe and heal and transform your soul, and renew your mind!
Here at this link is an excellent collection of Scriptures to get you started; it is
“Knowing Who I Am in Christ,” by Joyce Meyer.
Don't waste another minute! Get started now and learn your new identity in Christ!