God is amazing. Truly His plans are good. After a year and a half of struggling deeply with my identity and who I was after returning back to America, I am truly realizing the Lord always had a plan…every piece, every day, weaves together to form this beautiful tapestry. God was always right. God was always there, always working, always faithful…
For so long my identity has been found in idols, not who I am in Christ. My identity has been found in having a job, having my friends like me, or doing good things for God. Many things. This week I am learning through Ephesians who I ACTUALLY am…not what this world says or sees me as. My identity does not come from what I do, what I do reflects my identity in Christ. It is a different way of viewing my life, viewing who I am, and walking that out daily. I am praying for you all who read this that you too may evaluate what idols you may place your identity in other than Christ…
(What is an idol? Anything that has taken the place of God in your life…this can be, a job, car, boyfriend, fiancée, husband, friendship, clothes, beauty, longings, sufferings, people pleasing, volunteering, duties etc)
-blessed with every spiritual blessing
This is who YOU are if you know Jesus Christ. This is who I am. YOU are made for the PRAISE of HIS glory! You have all forgiveness, all grace, and redemption in Christ. You are INCLUDED, chosen, adopted as sons and daughters, and marked with a seal promising the Holy Spirit!! YOU are holy, blameless, and given wisdom and understanding in Christ! Not only are you given the Holy Spirit and all these things here in this life but you are also promised an eternal inheritance.
When I hear this identity of who I am in Christ and then think of the identity I usually describe to people it makes me laugh a bit…ok laugh a lot. “I am an occupational therapist, I have a masters degree, I went to the university of Florida with Tim Tebow (I never forget to throw that out there that I went to school with a celebrity), a volunteer, I make things (crafts), I have been around the world and seen lots of places (lol as God probably thinks yeah guess what I made the whole world! J) I am a wife, I have friends, and I go to a cool church.
Don’t get me wrong working as an occupational therapist (or whatever job you have) can bring glory to God if you do it to serve and love on his people, help his people, and your identity is not in WHAT you do. When I realize how much of my identity I named as what I majored in college and that I got a masters degree and was proud of it…then look at just ONE piece of who GOD calls us, CHOSEN, adopted, included in Christ, my masters degree all of a sudden feels very tiny.
God gave me a vision through my husband, Ryan, to reveal to me a vision I want my life to be about….Ryan said to me the other day, “I get what it’s all about…it’s ALL about dying to myself so that Christ may live in me, be known, be seen, and be worshipped. It’s not about me” (Gal 2:20) (John 12:24)
Love you all J
