Who Do You Say You Are?

Who Do You Say You Are?

What we attach our identity to forms us, which is why we need to die to self and let our identity be in Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

When we are being introduced or introducing ourselves, we say our names and generally what we do—our occupation. With this, we have introduced ourselves and attached what we do to our identity.

This is what society has taught us. So, when we come to know Christ and learn who we are in Him, it takes work for us to detach ourselves from everything else we have said we are and grow in our character through Him.

I’m sure we can all agree that over our lifetime, when someone says something about us, we can carry it with us. We think about it, and we allow it to become part of who we think we are.

We have now taken on what someone else has said as an opinion—not a fact—about who we are, and we allow it to lead us.

Let’s say you’re young and you play a sport. A coach, parent, or peer says, “You aren’t very good. Maybe you should do something else or just quit.”

Now you have a choice here, right?

You can take what they say and let it drive you away from a sport that you really want to play, OR you can take it and let it drive you to practice harder and learn the sport, even though you may not have been a natural.

Both can change your character, and sure, both can drive you. But with one, you have allowed someone else's words to become part of your identity. They trapped you into thinking you weren’t very good, so you gave up. With the other, you heard what was said, but you didn’t let it take hold negatively. Instead, you decided you were going to keep going anyway.

Now, I’m not saying doing something out of spite or to prove someone wrong is good or bad. It can go either way.

What I’m saying is: Let’s look at the why behind why we do certain things.

When we learn the why, it helps us see ourselves more clearly because we are learning how we process things, how we carry things, and how those things have affected the way we think about ourselves.

I know I have carried things with me even to this day, and I have to make a conscious effort not to let the negativity creep in.

We doubt ourselves, and when we let that doubt linger or combine with what someone else has said, it can creep in and deter us from the path we are on.

Really, though, we need to learn not to listen to it.

We need to hear God above the noise and let Him be our guide because when we are doing what God has for us, He can use our lives for His purposes.

Sometimes that means we may get talked about, and people may not understand why we are doing certain things. But if God has you doing something for Him, there is a reason. Even if you don’t recognize it yet, God is doing something.

How we accept the things others have said to us or about us from the past does not define who we are.

God is the One who speaks truth about who we are.

God says, “You are Mine.”

His words and His truth are what we need to believe and continually speak over our lives as a reminder.

When we learn who we are in Christ, we can carry it with us in a way that shines like a light. We are messengers of Christ, and when we shine brightly, it is noticed.

Being a messenger of Christ starts with knowing who we are in Christ and then living that out in a tangible way that leads and inspires others to want to follow Christ and learn about His character, which is what we are called to do.

Our lives become living proof of who Christ is.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

Dying to self as a Christ follower means that we are taking all that we thought we were and anything anyone has said about us and offering it up to God, saying:

“This isn’t me anymore. I’m Yours. Fill all the voids with Your truth.”

God knows us!

We know this, and we understand this, but to grasp it—to truly know and understand it—can be hard.

I had a friend ask me if I have been able to build relationships in the place I’m at in life in general, and I answered honestly.

I have friends, but I wouldn’t say they are close. I tend to keep people at a distance. It’s just something I’ve learned to do over my life to protect myself.

I share this because I’ve made it a part of my identity, haven’t I?

If someone said, “Describe yourself,” I would say:

“I’m easygoing, independent, faithful, and loyal.”

You see what I did there?

I understand who I am personally, but deep down, I still struggle to fully understand who I am in Christ.

I’m still saying, personally, “This is who I am,” but spiritually, it can be harder to determine.

But God?

He sees and knows exactly who I am.

Which is why the journey of dying to self is ongoing. I will forever be learning to grasp who I really am in Christ, and as I walk this out, I will release more and more of who I think I am and embrace more of who He says I am.

God knows us, and He is always at work filling every void and all the uncertainty we carry with His character, His love, and the truth of who He says we are.

This journey may be one of the greatest and most difficult journeys we will ever walk.

Because following Christ isn't just about changing what we do.

It's allowing Him to change how we see ourselves.

It's releasing who the world says we are.

Releasing who others have said we are.

And even releasing who we have decided we are.

So that our identity can become more and more rooted in Christ.

John 3:30 - He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

He becomes more as we become less.