I read this quote the other day: “What you think of yourself is a lot more important than what others think of you.” It’s easy to place our identity in others’ opinions of us or who others say we are. While keeping this statement in mind is a helpful way to prevent living under the bondage of others’ judgments and expectations, I would add that what God thinks of you is most important.
Our identity may be wrapped up in our work, our kids, our friendship groups, our profession, our appearance, or our credentials. We may believe who we are is the sum of the mistakes we’ve made or the undesirable behaviours or habits we’ve formed. Our identity may even be a product of the things that were told to us as a kid. When we leave God out of the equation, our title, who others say we are, or our beliefs about ourselves can become a destructive identity idol.
You may call yourself a mom, an entrepreneur, a teacher, a runner, an actor, or an artist, but even those titles fall far short of your full identity. Who you are isn’t merely the product of what you can do, or how well you do it, it’s found in being known and knowing the One who created you.
The Oxford Dictionary describes identity as:
- the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
- a close similarity or affinity.
Both definitions reflect what the Bible says in Genesis 1:26-27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” When this verse is held up to the definition we are: 1) created image bearers of God, and 2) a reflection of our Creator.
Many voices in our culture compete to be heard, telling us who we are, how we should behave, and what we should believe about ourselves, but what really matters is who God says we are. When we know that, the rest of the voices fade into the background as God’s voice becomes the most prominent in our lives.
We are loved by God and precious to him. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us, “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” And John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We matter so much to God that he offered Jesus as our ransom. By his death and resurrection, we are forgiven, and our lives are assured through eternity.
When we receive and anchor our identity in Christ’s love, we are not only free from sin, we are free from the bondage of others’ approval and the strain of striving to be accepted. Free from basing our worth on the total of likes we receive on social media. Free from the weight of guilt and believing the lies of the enemy of our souls. We are free from the illusion that we must work to be loved or saved, and we can be who God says we are, his cherished children. We are free to receive grace and live in the extravagant love God offers. The chains of remorse are released, and we are free to unconditionally love others as we are loved, and to love God in return.
Relationships are built by spending time, over time. The time we set aside to spend with God settles our souls, nourishes our spirit, secures our hearts, renews our minds, and reminds us we are fully and unconditionally loved. Through the reading of his Word, the Bible, time spent in prayer and meditation, and gathering with fellow believers, we come to a fuller understanding of and a deeper relationship with our Creator.
As we become better acquainted with God, under the canopy of his love, we likewise better understand ourselves. We no longer seek to be like—or be liked by—everyone. We grow comfortable and confident in our own skin in the assurance that we are accepted, that we are beloved. Fear loses its grip. We stretch our creative muscles working out of the fullness of who we were made to be—unapologetic and unafraid—and serving others out of the overflow. We become bold in our Saviour’s love, and able to celebrate who we are because of who he is and all he’s done for us!
About the Author: Melanie Stevenson was born in England and has never lost her love for British tea and gardens. She now lives in Southern Ontario surrounded by her husband, four children, and a house full of pets. She entered the University of Waterloo as an English major and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. An avid prayer journaler, she has been writing devotionals for over a decade. With a passion for the arts, she has directed numerous plays and teaches acting classes to young people and adults. Melanie spent eighteen years homeschooling her children, still finding the soul-nourishing time to write, garden, and paint. One More Tomorrow is her debut novel and Soul Focus is her first devotional book.
