The Struggle is Real
Read or listen then scroll down to the end for questions to help you apply this to your everyday life!
I was having a conversation with a group of ladies a few weeks ago and I asked the question, “Why do we struggle so much with our identity in Christ?” There were many insightful thoughts that were shared. Here’s my take on a few of them. See if you can relate to any of these.
Comparison. Comparison is a huge enemy of identity. We will never truly know who we are in Christ when we’re continuously trying to be more like somebody else. Did you realize that in order for comparison to occur, we must first pass judgement? Whether we deem someone to be worse than us or better than us, it’s still judgement. The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you will be judged.” There is only One just judge and His Name is Jesus! When we believe who He says we are, there is never a need to compare ourselves with anyone else.
Media. We have so many input sources these days telling us how we should look, how we should act, and what we should think. Whether it’s social media, the news media, commercials, or advertisements; they are all vying for our attention and assimilation. It does make it challenging to be in the world and not of the world when we are constantly being bombarded with messages of carnality. If you’re going to constantly listen to the news, allow it to be The Good News!
Approval. When we’re constantly concerned about what other people think, we’re going to find our identity in the opinion of others rather than in the Word of God. Continuously asking other people what they think more than you ask God what He thinks is giving people way too much power in our lives. We don’t need the approval of people when we’ve already been approved by God!
Unworthiness. There are countless things in life that can make us feel unworthy. Shame about past sin is one of the biggest culprits. It speaks loudly, penetrates deeply, and operates destructively. When we feel unworthy, we believe the lie that we are undeserving of all God has to offer us. It causes us to reject our identity in Christ and accept the identity portrayed by our enemy. Romans 8:1 tells us, “…there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. If the Creator of the universe doesn’t condemn you, then you have to stop condemning yourself. What you do or what you’ve done doesn’t make you worthy or unworthy. What makes you worthy is whose you are and what He’s done. And what did He do? He died so you could be made worthy!
Words. How many of you have ever had horrible words spoken over you that somehow seemed to stick? Many times, people don’t even realize the impact their words can have on someone. Even words that are written off as a joke or as just playing around, can sometimes shape the way someone thinks – especially what they think of themselves. If all your life you were called ugly, when you look in the mirror it may be difficult for you to see yourself as beautifully and wonderfully made. If you were repeatedly told you were dumb, it may be unfathomable to think you actually have the mind of Christ. If you continuously heard you were no good for nothing, it may be extremely hard to believe you’re gifted by God and anointed for Kingdom purpose. While words like these can be extremely painful and even traumatizing, the Word of God is extremely powerful and able to transform! Begin replacing the words of man with the Word of God. Remind yourself of all the good God says more than you reminisce about all the bad people have said. Do this long enough and you’ll notice the words you speak over yourself will begin to agree more with God’s truth and less with people’s lies.
Questions to Ask
· Which of these areas are you most able to relate to?
· How has it impacted the way you see yourself?
· What will you begin doing differently to help you better see yourself the way God sees you?
Scriptures to Study
· Psalm 139:14
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