Who Am I?

Do you know you are wonderfully and fearfully made? Do you know He has not given you the spirit of fear but of power and sound mind? Do you know you are God’s temple? Do you know you are the light of this world? Do you know God has called and chosen you? Do you know you have authority and dominion? Do you know you are a royal priesthood? Do you know you are the wonderful daughter of God?

Reading time: 8 minutes

Is your identity rooted in the Word or in the World?

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, identity is defined by who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others. Consciously or unconsciously, we go about life trying to find out who we are and what makes us stand out, what makes us different. From branding ourselves, starting small businesses, finding our niche, trying out new hobbies, we are all on a journey of discovering why we are on this Earth. It becomes a journey of trial and error, a journey of hopelessness, a journey of doubt and despair. Now more than ever, people are on their path towards finding their identity. But now more than ever people are forgetting who God is, they are forgetting the role of God in their lives, they are forgetting who they are in Christ. That is dangerous! Very dangerous! 

It is like trying to build a house without a foundation. When I think about the journey of self-identification without God I think of the verse in Luke 6:46-49, 

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49)

As we read, we see the difference between a man whose foundation is in Christ compared to a man who does not have a foundation in Christ. In the midst of flood and storms the house built on God and His Word, is unshakable and unmovable no matter how strong the torrents are. The house without a foundation on the other hand, collapses as if it was built out of sticks and straws. 

In the case of Luke 6 we liken the house to a person’s identity. When you hear the Word of God and become a doer of His word, your identity begins to be rooted in Christ. Once your identity becomes rooted in Christ, He becomes your foundation. With Christ as your foundation, trust and believe that you will be like a house that is unshakable and unmovable even in the midst of the storms.  Bad news, people, events, social media, basically anything that can shake a person’s identity won’t even be able to shake you. However, if your identity is not rooted in Christ, the storms that come with this walk called life will not hesitate to knock you down. An identity not rooted in Christ and His Word is basically an identity rooted around worldly standards, human opinion, and daily life events. Your ideas, your goals, your hopes, and your business/life plans are easily torn down because of common circumstances. Your life becomes unstable.

When you don’t know who you are it is very easy for the world to come in and tell you who you are. As believers and as people on this earth in general we know that the king of this world is Satan. If God is not the one shaping your identity then who is? If the Word of God is not shaping your identity then what is? Satan does not want to see you prosper, he does not want to see you walking in your purpose, he does not want to see you doing the work of God. When I say Satan I don’t mean only Satan himself but every and anybody that may try to come into your life and begin to hinder your growth, belittle you, or place you in a box. At times Satan may even come in the form of your own thoughts! So as soon as you are going in the right direction you might probably start hearing things like, 

“You’re not good enough.”

“You don’t have the right look.”

“What if you fail?”

“What if they laugh at you?”

“You’re not smart enough.”

“They won’t take you seriously.”

Sounds familiar? Not every thought you have, or every advice received is of God. Same way that not every thought you have or advice received is accurate. One thing we Africans love calling people or anything that gets in our way is “enemy of progress.” That is literally what the devil is, he is an enemy of progress. He does not only speak through thoughts but he also speaks through friends, family, acquaintances, teachers, bosses, or just people in general. God speaks but so does the devil and if your identity is not rooted in Christ, those phrases and more might just get past your first and second ear. Then in turn lead you into the journey of self-sabotage, and just simply blocking your own blessings.

As a child of God when you know who you are you know you are walking with the Holy Spirit, you recognize your God given authority and power, you recognize the light you walk in. Imagine, once the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus Christ He was able to do signs and wonders, cast out demons, raise the dead, bring sight to the blind, cleanse the lepers!!! When Peter received the Holy Spirit HIS SHADOW WAS HEALING PEOPLE!! HIS SHADOW!! When Paul received the Holy Spirit he was going all around preaching the Word of God to thousands and thousands of people. People tried to kill him, they even took an oath saying they would not eat or drink until they killed Paul (Acts 23:12) but they could not even get next to him!!!

Imagine if we as Christians in this day and age knew that we could walk in power and that God has given us dominion over so many areas of our lives and the world! We would be doing exploits, spreading the Word, truly representing Jesus Christ here on earth! “But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” - Daniel 11:32. We need to recognize the voice of God! We need to know our God!

Building Your Identity in Christ

So how do you build an identity that is rooted in Christ? You read the Word. You spend time in your secret place.You begin to envision yourself through the eyes of God. You begin to declare and decree the Words of God over your life. It is not a change that happens overnight, it is a continuous journey! “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” - Matthew 4:4. If we feel the need to eat everyday, we must feel the need to be in His Word and His presence everyday as well. You cannot read the Word once a week and believe you will be filled up, it is an everyday thing! So ladies, go to God in prayer and speak to Him from your heart, confess to Him that you want to know Him, and you want to know who you are in Him! Then simply believe that it is done.

Closing Prayer

“ Father God I ask You to fill me up with the thirst and zeal to know You, to know Your Word, to know who You have called me to be. I thank You because You have made me in Your image to be a representation of You on Earth. But my Father, I confess boldly to You that there are times that I forget who I am, I forget the words You have spoken over my life and things of the world become too loud. Father God, I ask that may Your voice be the loudest one I hear and the one I am most sensitive to. May you silence all decrees, utterances, thoughts in my head and, through the mouths of others that are not of You. May you create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast Spirit within me. Make me receptive to the words You have spoken over my life. May the ministry of the Holy Spirit of  transformation and empowerment in my life come to fruition. Thank You Lord for the revelation, the power, the authority, the identity. Thank You for being my foundation and thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ Mighty name we pray. Amen.”