When I was a teenager, I identified as an athlete. I played field hockey for my high school and college teams. My worth depended on how well I played. It felt great my senior year to win the league championships with the winning goal, but I didn’t know how to view myself in the years following a career-ending knee injury. Fast forward a few years, and I married my husband and became a wife. If we were getting along and on the same page, things were great. But ultimately our interactions determined how I viewed myself. Today, if I’m not careful, I can find myself primarily identifying as a mom. I can quickly feel awful about myself when they misbehave or I yell at them for making a mess.
Do you notice a pattern? My self-worth has often been dictated by my circumstances and fleeting emotions. If this is how I determine my identity, I would certainly live most of my life on a roller coaster. These two verses really helped change the basis on which I think about myself:
“You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Colossians 3:9-10
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
I can’t tell you how comforting it is to know deep down that my true identity is only in Christ. When I accepted Him into my life, the Creator of the universe became my Father and I am made in His image. I love that the passage describes us as God’s handiwork. This means God made us Himself with a particular purpose in mind. Since we were created in His image we have the power to live by the fruits of the spirit described in Galatians 5:love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These tell us a great deal about who God is and what characterizes Him. Slowly read that list again:
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.
That’s our God. At night when you rest your head and are wondering who cares for you, it’s this God. He’s a loving Father whose character traits are constant. If you didn’t get the promotion you wanted, or your spouse takes you for granted, or you haven’t been the mom you hope to be this week, God still sees you as His beloved creation, made for a purpose. Memorize Galatians 5:22-23 and remember your identity is in that loving, faithful God. He loves you so much that he died on a cross for you. Learn to see yourself through His eyes and let everything else fade away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L57ox0iQU7A
WILLOWDALE CHRISTMAS TEA AND COFFEEHOUSE
Last Chance! Kick off the holiday season by attending one of our magical Christmas outreach events. Enjoy delicious cuisine and hear an inspiring speaker and uplifting music. Tickets are on sale through November 25. Click here to purchase tickets.
Volunteers Needed! High school students, men and women are invited to join our volunteer team. We need all hands on deck for our largest women's outreach event of the year! Click here to volunteer.