A Season of Wholeness

7/5/2020

Stacie Norman

Professional Counselor with Cord of 3 since 2018

I’m worthless. I’m stupid. I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m a failure. I’m broken.

How many times have we said these things about ourselves? Is that what we truly believe? Is it our true identity? Many times we feel that it is. We allow the past, difficult situations and circumstances, and other painful experiences to define who we are…. And we often end up believing a lie. We look at our past rejections and think there is no way we can be worthy of love. We compare ourselves to others and feel inadequate. We recount our past failures and believe that we will never have success. We look to the world for acceptance, and when we do not find it, we allow ourselves to be identified by the lies we believe. We trudge through life showing the world around us a false identity.

The problem of accepting a false identity is not new to our society. Back in Bible days, Gideon, believed lies about himself as well. When God called him to save Israel from the Midianites, he was shocked. The angel of the Lord came to him and said “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” (Judges 6:12) How did Gideon respond? In verse 13, he asks, “If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” Later in the verse, Gideon remarks, “But now the Lord has forsaken us and giving us into the hand of Midian.” What was the lie Gideon believed? I’m forsaken.

God didn’t change his mind about Gideon, though. As if the angel didn’t even hear what he said, he commanded, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:14) Again, Gideon responded from a perspective of a false identity. In verse 15, Gideon asked how he could save Israel, sharing that his clan was the weakest in the nation and that he, personally, was the least in his father’s house. I’m weak. I’m nothing. These are the lies Gideon believed. However, God had a plan for Gideon, and as we continue to read through Judges, we find that Gideon did eventually obey God and defeat the Midianites.

Like Gideon, we have a true identity that is contrary to the lies we believe. Though Gideon saw himself as abandoned and weak, God saw him as mighty and brave. Just as he did with Gideon, God gave us a true identity – one that we find in Christ. Before we learn about our identity, though, lets take a moment to reflect on the identity of Christ.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked the disciples what people were saying about Him. The disciples told him that some thought he was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet. He then asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (v. 15), to which Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v.16). Christ – the anointed One. The Son of the Creator of all of heaven and all the earth. The One who died for our sins that we could be forgiven and made whole.

We no longer have to be broken. Colossians 2 tells us that we are no longer dead to sin, but He has made us alive together with Him. Our debts were cancelled and we are whole! Through Christ, we are forgiven. (1 John 1:9). We are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are accepted. (Ephesians 1:6) We are loved. (John 3:16) We are Chosen. (John 15:16). We are precious. (1 Corinthians 6:20) We are His (John 1:12). This is our true identity.
It is time to move from a season of brokenness to a season of wholeness. You no longer have to walk around with a false identity. Jesus paid a very high price for your freedom, and He desires to see you walk in that freedom. Your identity is no longer wrapped in the lies of the enemy or the ways of this world. You have been made whole. Your identity is in Christ, and through Him, you can overcome every lie you once believed!

We are forgiven. (1 John 1:9).
We are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are accepted. (Ephesians 1:6)
We are loved. (John 3:16)
We are Chosen. (John 15:16).
We are precious. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
We are His (John 1:12).

This is our true identity!

Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.