Our identity in God is utterly amazing. We cannot buy it or earn it. God gives it to us freely and we must reach out and accept it. We need to understand it so that we can get the most out of it. When we really grasp our identity in Christ we begin to grow and can then be used by God.
In this world we face all the garbage the world hands out to us. It is always hanging around to gouge us with the crud of the world. When it does, our soul can feel pretty messed up and weakened. In fact, life can get so distracting we sometimes do not know what hit us. God’s strength carries you past the doubts and insecurities. God, if we let Him, will carry us all the way to victory.
How does one deal with stumbling blocks and battles on the road of life to becoming the person God has called them to be? God wants us to live our life in Him every day of our life. Life is hard enough to get through…but when we put God first each day and ask Him to guide our day we get filled and make it another day in His light. He is the living water that floods our soul.
Each morning, before the distractions and the demands of the day engulf your mind and invade your calendar, seek the Lord. Find a quiet, still, place in your house to meet with God and start your day in His presence. Pray, and get into His word. Ask God to show you what you need for that day. You do not have to read chapters but take a few verses and ask yourself who, what, when, why, where, and how to apply that to your life. Ask Him to open doors and shut others. Just spend time each day with God for He loves you and wants a relationship with you. Remember, living your identity in Christ is not about flawlessness or a strict routine. It’s about starting the day by renewing your mind in Christ and refreshing your spirit for the day ahead.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6
We live in a crazy and fallen world filled with weakened values and morals. Messages are coming at us from many venues – social media, television, radio, internet – and the noise is turned up to create chaos and distract you. In fact, just about everything in our day can be distracting to us. If you are not regularly seeking God and renewing your mind with His truths, it’s easy to allow the messages to confuse you and lead you astray. It is like everything is like fake news, lies, deceptions, corruption, and our life can be filled daily with the garbage of life instead of the light of life through Jesus. We are tempted by the appeal of the noise of just about everything out there.
What to do? Make a choice! Resist the devil and all his ways and honor God in each and everything you do. Make your lifestyle line up with the word of God and stand firm on God’s word. Set your mind on God each day and stay stuck to Him. Trust that God will supply you with the strength and self-control you need to stand firm in your commitment to honor Him with your life.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
When we ask Jesus into our life we become a new person. We are God’s child. We are no longer bound to our mistakes of the past. This is the first time we have real freedom in our life and we are truly free in Him. Any shame, guilt, and burdens of the past have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
Satan wants nothing more than for you to continue to hide in the darkness out of fear and shame. He wants you to walk through every day of your life in guilt and shame even though God has forgiven you. Why? Because once he has gained a stronghold in your life, he intends to keep you hiding in your past to prevent you from furthering God’s plans for you. Satan will use your past to distract you from your God-given purpose. I encourage you not to give Satan a stronghold over your life. God gave you a clean slate when you asked Him into your life and confessed your sins. You are free. You are clean. And you belong to God. So don’t allow the devil to go on keeping you in bondage.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Stop settling for less than God’s best in your life. God created you in your mother’s womb. He knows you. He loves you. He has a plan for your life, and even more a plan for you to go to heaven to be with Him for all eternity. That is amazing!
Patiently wait as He guides your future and reveals His plans for you. Don’t try to get ahead of God in your life. Rest on Him. Resist the temptation to pave your own way and make your own path. His best far outweighs momentary happiness and the rushed plans we create due to our impatience. Rest in His assurance and promises. God knows best. He always knows best.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Embrace and live out your identity in Christ. No more shriveling, concealing, hiding, or redirecting. Choose Christ each and every day and step into His plans for you to live a full and meaningful life!