Identity

It's amazing how we so easily let what others say get to us. Sometimes even define us. It has power over us. More than we'd ever like to admit. Some of us find our identity in it, Some of us lose our identity in it. Even if what others say is untrue.

Maybe that's not the case for you. Maybe you're the sort who words bounce right off of. Lucky you. I know I'm not. No matter what is spoken, true or untrue, it affects me. Even with Christ's powerful affirmations of who I am in Him, I need to daily remind myself that my identity is found in Christ, not others.

One of my favorite Christian rappers, Lecrae, has a song titled "Identity". In there, it says "Identity is found in the God we trust, any other identity will self-destruct." This is so much more true than we realize. In the past I have tried to find my identity in family. In friends. In a relationship. And in the end, I've always lost it. But in these past few weeks, things have drastically changed.

A lot of times, I sit and wonder, what does it mean to find our identity in Christ? What does that look like? I've been going through a sort of self-discovery period these past couple of months and what I've come to find is that I think finding our identity in Christ has a lot to do with trusting Him. Saying "Okay, God, You're in charge." By doing so, we allow ourselves to be used by Him. Shaped. Molded.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

This past summer resulted in me rededicating my life to Christ. I gave it all to Him. Officially. it was a difficult time that I was going through and I was at a loss for which direction my life was taking. I knew I could never make it on my own. I'd watched my goals and dreams for my life, wash out like the tide of the ocean. So as of July 31st, I made the decision to rededicate my life to God. It wasn't an easy process. I had to let go of what held me down the most, and that's usually the fear of never knowing my identity. Never knowing who I am. Who I'm supposed to be.

After going through that process, I realized that as long as I was striving to be Christlike and make that my ultimate goal, that question didn't matter. That fear didn't matter. It was like it all suddenly made sense.

When I made that choice to follow God wholeheartedly again, I made the decision to do whatever He asked of me, go wherever He called me, all with no objection. It hasn't been the most fun walk, I'll be honest there. But where it's led me so far has made it all worth it for sure.

My identity isn't so important anymore when I'm following God and leading others in that same direction. I have the identity of a daughter of Christ. A faithful servant. A disciple of the Lord. A young woman who puts God above all else.

Life isn't just about finding ourselves. Life is about being someone who brings glory to God, our Maker. In our actions, our words, our daily lives. Life is about Him. So are we finding our identity in others? Or in Christ?