Something that I love getting to witness is when God’s truth really sinks into people, where the “light bulb” goes off and people walk in freedom. And so much of the freedom we walk in stems from our identity. I wanted to share with you all a few things of how we can walk in greater freedom in who we are in Christ! And by no means do I have everything together, heck to the no! I am still learning and am just wanting to invite you into the process with me.
1.) Slowly read Psalm 139:1-18 out loud several times. Practicing a tone of gentleness and kindness, as if the Lord were speaking it over you. Then from the Psalm write down some of your thoughts to this question: when God looks at me, what does He see?
2.) You have probably heard the saying “you become what you behold.” So how do we begin to see the image of me that God sees? It begins with the way we view Him! Corinthians 3:18 tells us how transformation occurs in the Kingdom of God:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
I love learning from the written Word, but also through daily having experiences with the Word as the person of Jesus (John 1:1,14). It’s not just knowing about God, but knowing Him by life itself (Philippians 3:10). When we see Him as He really is, that’s how we become like Him!
We live in an instant world; from food delivery to overnight shipping to instant communications and social media. I recently listened to an interview with a famous journalist from the 1970’s who said, “There’s not even a 24 hour news cycle anymore. It’s a 10 minute news cycle!”
The truth is that our discovery of our true identity in Jesus is a process of development. And rather than just having an instant, self-help culture of “10 Easy Steps to…” which in essence only says, “Do this and you’ll become this.”
God values relationship above all else and He isn’t in a hurry because He simply enjoys being with us in our learning! Wow, how amazing is that!?!
In the Kingdom, we learn relationally, not just academically. Jesus didn’t just teach the disciples about God – He also walked with them, ate meals together, and showed them who His Father was by the miracles and manner in which He lived with them.
Jesus was and is continually restoring the Father’s dream of a family. That’s the image of you that He sees. You are His family, His son, His daughter!
Look at the language of the Bible. We are “sons and daughters,” “brothers,” “sisters.” We have a Father and He has a Son. And just like a good Dad, God loves holding your hand and walking with you through whatever it is that you’re facing.
From this perspective, every circumstance can be an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God, whether our circumstances are resolved or not – because nothing can separate us (Romans 8:38-39)…and that’s a thought that makes Him very happy.
3.) What would change for you if you considered every situation an opportunity to encounter something new in God’s true nature?
- Think about a situation (present or past) that you would like to hurry and have over.
- Who does God want to be for you as you walk through it together?
Example: A broken heart is not enjoyable, but having an encounter with the Comforter can be something that is healing and precious.
Note: Just to be clear, God is never causing a negative (illness, tragedy, hardship, etc.) so you will learn more about Him. He is not the author of those, however, He excels in using the enemy’s plans for your harm as a way to introduce you to something powerful and beautiful in who He wants to be for you in that place (Genesis 50:20).
This is a powerful in discovering that everything, everything, can become part of seeing more of who God really is, and who you really are.
There’s a common phrase that says, “All of you, God, and none of me,” which sounds very humble. But it’s not God’s definition of humility. True humility is certainly knowing who you are apart from God – but it’s also being confident of who we are with Him!
In Psalm 18, David talks about the Lord, who is His rock, His fortress, His deliverer and His strength, in whom he can fully trust. Beginning in verse 29, we begin to see David’s response to God’s greatness. “For by You, I can run over a troop. By my God, I can leap over a wall…” David goes on to list all the things he was able to do “by God.”
And then verse 35, “Your gentleness has made me great.” David was a great man, and he acknowledges his greatness. He doesn’t diminish it. He simply magnifies the Author of it!
As Allison Bown says, “Being radiant in Christ isn’t about us making ourselves big, but about magnifying a majestic God to be as big as He really is and then being an accurate reflection of His true nature.”
The gentleness of God to David (probably on some of his most difficult days), opened David’s heart to the greatness of God…and to his own greatness with Him.
In all of this Psalm, God is the initiator of David’s protection and provision…But David has to respond to what God initiates!
Because he knew who he was with God, he responded by running over a troop, leaping walls, overtaking his enemies. David gave his whole heart to who God was and discovered that…ALL of God and ALL of him was a GREAT partnership!
That kind of life together, of Christ in us and us in Christ, is what Jesus gave everything for us to experience. The world we live in needs beautiful, confident, gentle, kind, powerful believers who reflect the image of a God who longs to be majestic to us, for us, and through us!
4.) What is the specific aspect of greatness that God has deposited in you?
- Start by thinking of times or areas of your life in which God has been particularly gentle, kind and good. Write down some thoughts.
Don’t rush through this part. Remember the situation. How you felt and what the specific ways were that His gentleness and goodness impacted you.
- Write Him a note of thanksgiving for that time:
“Because of Your gentleness, I was able to overcome ________.” “When You were kind to me, I saw myself as _______.”
(These are just ideas. I’m sure you’ll have better ones!)
True greatness in the Kingdom of God is the level to which we are transformed into a greater and greater likeness of Christ in us, our hope of glory.
God put us into Christ so that every time He looks at you, He sees the glory of His adored Son. And that is the lens He wants us to use for ourselves, because it’s how He sees us. This brings us back to the beginning: When God looks at you, what does He see? But it takes it further…
This conversation with God is about what He sees that you don’t see… yet. That’s a different interaction.
The quick answer is: “He sees Jesus.” Yes, He does. But, maybe you are asking “I understand that when God looks at me, He sees Jesus – but does He also see me?” Great, honest question.
If you’ve been a part of the Christian world for a while, you probably know the spiritually appropriate answers to a lot of questions. They are still totally true, but what if we explore beyond that?
Yes, when God looks at you, He sees Jesus… but what is it that He specifically sees about who He created you to be that He rejoices in?
God loves each of us completely, but He also loves us uniquely.
Zephaniah 3:17 says,
“The Lord God is in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
God rejoices over the unique identity He created in you. What is it that He sees in you that causes Him to do that? Far too often, it’s things that we have yet to see in ourselves.
5.) Begin by reading Zephaniah 3:17 aloud, several times and consider the words:
What impacts your heart with the phrase that God is “in our midst,” not just high in heaven looking down? “The Mighty One” is part of His identity. What does it mean to you to have Someone “mighty” in your life? When has He quieted you with His love?
6.) Ask the Holy Spirit: “What makes You glad about me?
God speaks to us in a variety of ways, but rarely in a booming voice like the Cecil B. DeMille “Ten Commandments” movie. He excels in a still, small, internal voice of knowing. God is love and He is good…so His words to you always will be too.
And then last but certainly not least…
7.) what beautiful part of me did You create, that I have yet to see?
Go back and read Psalm 139:1-18 aloud again.
If it seems hard to imagine, that’s okay. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself the same massive grace that God gives to you in this process.
