All of this got me thinking about our identity as followers of Christ. The Bible tells us in 2 Cor. 5:17 that "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." We have been given a new identity in Christ. A myriad of scriptures point to all the different aspects of this new identity (1 Cor. 6:20, Gal. 2:16, Heb. 9:14, John 1:29, etc.).
Yet Satan does everything he can to get us to trade it for something else. It starts when we lose sight of who God made us to be. We then begin to let other things define us (a job, a salary range, a relationship, a status level, and more). This leads to us putting our trust and finding our security in these things. Before we know it, we no longer embrace our identity in Christ.
Why is this so dangerous? Because when the trials of life hit us, only Jesus will be the one to see us through. How do I know this? I've lived it. A couple of years back I went through a very difficult season in my life. I endured 9 months of unemployment, a major back issue, and abdominal surgery which led to 25 days in the hospital.
As I lay in the hospital one day, I felt like I had lost so much of what defined me: my ministry job, the ability to support my family, my health, and my dignity. Then God spoke to me so clearly and He began to remind me that my identity was found in Him. I was rich! I had everything that I needed because of who I was in Him. This brought amazing strength to my heart and gave me the perspective I needed to get through this dark time.
Never forget who you are in Christ. Your job is what you do, not who you are. Your net worth is what you have, not who you are. What others say about you is their opinion, not who you are. You are a child of God, and you have everything you need!
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