Wresting with Identity

"God will put you in a position to wrestle with your identity and choose whom you believe; Him or you."  -Beth Moore

These words changed my life about three years ago as I wrested with God over the new calling and gifting He was revealing to me.

In 2011, I began writing and for months I struggled with whether I had any credence to be writing and who was I to think I could be used by God in this way.

Then, one day these words jumped off the page in a devotional I was reading and I had to make a decision...

Who was I going to believe?  Me or God.

Was I going to believe my own fleshly mind filled with self-doubt?  Or would I believe God.

The most true thing about anything is what God says about it.

Do you know what God says about you?  I want to give you some verses today to look up.  As you look them up, may you discover the most true thing about yourself.

I have no doubt God will also put you in a position where you are forced to wrestle with your identity and choose whom you will believe...you or Him.

1.  1 Peter 2:9
2.  Ephesians 2:10
3.   Zechariah 2:8
4.  2 Corinthians 5:17
5. 1 Thess 5:23
6.  Isaiah 43:1
7.  Isaiah 43:25-26
8.  Isaiah 61:3b

I would love for you to come back and comment on which verse spoke to you!  

Hidden Treasure

"For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden in Christ with God."  Colossians 3:3

A puzzle box is a box that holds secret treasures that are hidden from sight at first glance.  It is only through a series of intricate maneuvers that the contents within are unveiled.

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we died to our old life.  The old us departed and we became a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17).  That is, after all, what being "born again" is all about.

However, we didn't become our new selves all at one time.  That would be nice, but there is a transformation that is required to take place gradually over time.  Just as a baby is born and is unable to walk, eat meat, or talk until it learns to do these things over time, our maturing process and growing as a Christian is reflectively similar.

Yes, we are new creations, just as a baby is a new creation.  And just like a baby grows and develops over time into a grown- up version of the same person, our spiritual growth in becoming all God created us to be takes time.

Who we really are is hidden.  Who we really are is hidden in Christ with God.  God is constantly twisting and turning and maneuvering in our lives so that the real treasures hidden inside of us emerge.  As we study God's Word and as we pray and grow closer to the Lord, our real life is revealed.  We become different people, better people.  We become more like Christ and less like our old dead selves.

We become our true selves.

When I rededicated my life to Christ and truly decided to follow Him, I was a tangled mess.  God has taken one strand at a time to un-knot the mess I created.  We cannot see the finished picture right now.  Our real life, glorious life, is hidden.  He is still working and I know He won't be finished with me until I meet Him face to face before His glory.

The more I spend time with Him and the closer I grow to Him, the more I like who I am.  I like this new me, and the reason I can say that is because He is remaking me into who He original designed me to be--
The true me.  I'm not there yet, but I am thankful I'm not where I was!

Your real life is hidden too, and you are going to LOVE who God created you to be!  Just keep walking with Him, one step at a time, and you will be amazed at the treasures inside!

Father, I thank You that You have designed each of us unique and special, with certain gifts, talents and abilities.  I thank You that as we grow closer to You and spend time in Your presence that we become more and more of who you created us to be, and our true identity is discovered, our identity in Christ.  Lord, I ask for everyone reading today that you would reveal to them another facet of their real life that is hidden in Christ Jesus.  Father, help us all to know our old life is gone and that You have a new life for us in You.  We love you, and I pray we will become all you intended us to be.  In Jesus' Name, Amen. 




 

Lessons Learned at Walmart {Part Two}

Last Christmas season, I wanted to teach my three kids more about giving.  So, we decided to bless three strangers at Walmart with a unexpected gift card.

The four of us headed out to Walmart in our white mini-van for our mission.  The kids were not very excited about it.  They couldn't understand why we would just give a random person a gift card.  Oh, how this lesson was so needed!

In their minds, it seemed odd and besides...What would the strangers think about it?

When we do something out of the norm, many people may not understand.  But, not understanding doesn't negate the purpose or effectiveness.  Nothing is normal until it becomes the norm.

We bought our gift cards and we looked to see who our first recipient would be.

There was an lady standing in line.  She was probably about fifty years old.  We went up behind her and began small talk.  She was very pleasant.  She placed her items on the belt and the cashier rang everything up.  Then, before she paid, my children watched as I gave her the gift card. (They were being too shy to give it to her at the time, even though they really aren't shy!)

Her reaction surprised me.

I have to tell you all three reactions were completely different and it was very interesting to observe people's reactions.

The first lady was thankful, but was going to refuse the gift card.  She said that someone else needed it more than she did.

The second lady was extremely thankful and even ran up to us again and hugged me with tears in her eyes and said, "Thank you so much.  This was such a blessing!"

The third person looked confused and didn't quite seem to understand what was happening.  This person was baffled why anyone would just give them something.

These three very different reactions reminded me of how often we view blessings from the Lord, or even how some perceive the gospel of Christ.

People may react in one of these three ways when hearing the message of the gospel or in response to God's blessings in their lives.

1. "Someone else needs this blessing more than I do."  This can be false humility.  Maybe someone does need it more than you, but if God is giving it to you, receive it!

I didn't share the end of what happened with the first lady.  I have to say that it did not bless me for her to decline.  It almost offended me.  I insisted she keep it, and that it was hers to do whatever she wished with and that if she didn't want to keep it, she could pass it on and bless someone else with it.

Receive His blessings and then ask how He would have you bless others.  But please don't decline what the Lord gives you.

2.  True Thankfulness and Response.  The second reaction is the one I think blesses the Lord the most! It blessed us the most!   This lady was truly thankful and openly showed her thankfulness!

3.  "I don't deserve blessings."  The third person didn't know how to respond to this free gift.  I think they thought surely this isn't free, nothing is ever free.  It seemed they had lived a hard life and could not understand why someone would just be kind to them.

Jesus came and died to give us the free gift of salvation, there is nothing we can do to earn this gift.  No, we don't deserve it, but God loved us so much that He paid a hefty price so we could receive this gift.

Again, like lady #2, true thankfulness and gratitude with proper humility is the appropriate response to every gift the Lord gives.

My kids also learned a good lesson through this experiment/mission.  They learned that giving is fun and they too were the most blessed with the response of lady #2.

May we all respond like lady #2 to everything the Lord desires to give us...with an open heart and thankfulness!

Power Verses:

"To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever."  Psalm 30:12

"Oh that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men."  Psalm 107:31

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins."  Romans 5:16

Related posts: 

Lessons Learned at Walmart

I Have Learned...

If You Teach it You will be Tested

Lessons Learned at Walmart

My daughter and I parked the cart over by the side of the rack and began looking at the cute beach towels. Suddenly, I heard a crash and glanced as I saw a man ram a cart into the display and mutter something about people parking their carts in the aisle and how rude that is.

As I looked, I noticed it was our cart he had pushed.  I immediately began singing "Let it Go" from the movie, Frozen...of course. (So many applications to that song.)  

Well, I was able to just "let it go" and go on with a rather enjoyable Walmart experience.  Then, I got in line at the checkout counter.  As I was placing my items on the conveyor belt, I noticed some unpleasantness going on behind me in line.  There were 3 ladies behind me and apparently one of them had "cut" in front of the other by positioning herself to the side and in front of her like she was charging ahead for the finish of the Kentucky Derby.

I had to laugh to myself.  However, the lady behind the eager race horse did not find the whole scenario quite as humorous.  She did try to be gracious and told the lady to go ahead and that she could see she was obviously in a hurry.  The race horse said, "Ok" and began placing her items behind mine on the belt.

Well, the lady behind her could not contain herself any longer and began to inform the lady about how rude she was being, to which, the lady had no response.  She just continued placing items on the belt and then she stood right where I needed to stand to pay.

Still amused by the fiasco, I politely told the lady I still needed to pay and asked her if she could move back. She did...for about 2 minutes, and then stepped back to where I needed to stand.

Well, the cashier was done ringing up my items by this time.  So, I smiled and laughed and told the lady I needed to get to that spot to pay, unless of course, she wanted to pay for my items.

She smiled and laughed too and something changed.  I think something happened in her when I reacted in kindness and even humor to this tense situation.  She immediately had a change of heart and suddenly this race horse that was in such a hurry, backed up, pushed her groceries to the back of the belt and insisted that the lady behind her go first.

A spiritual mentor of mine, Karen Ellison, the founder of Deeper Still Ministry, talks about reacting to people in the opposite spirit.  It is the same principle as blessing those who curse you.  When you are kind to those who are unkind or rude to you, something happens in the spiritual realm that we cannot see.  It disarms the forces that are at work to tempt us into sin.

I could have easily gotten offended and irritated at that lady for continuing to act impatient and being where I needed to stand.  And, many times in the past, I haven't responded in love like I should have.  However, this day I did and I saw the result!  Sometimes we may not see the result, but we just need to know that God is working even if we don't see it.

Power Verses:

1.  Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  Luke 6:28

2.  A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15: 1

3.  Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sin. Proverbs 17:9

  

3 Simple Steps

We have a battle going on inside us.  It is our flesh versus our spirit.  Our spirit is made new when we received Jesus.  Jesus comes to live inside us, the Holy Spirit lives inside us.  He is our new nature.  However, we still have our old nature (the flesh) hanging around.

Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  Galations 5:16-17

Whatever you feed becomes stronger.

Three simple steps we can take to feed our spirit and starve our flesh is:

1. Feed your Spirit with the Word of God and memorize the Word so it resides inside you.
2. Pray.
3. Fast

As you do these things, your Spirit becomes stronger and your flesh becomes weaker. Fasting denies our flesh and makes it easier to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Does it mean you will never give into your flesh?  No. We are human.  We sin.  We fail.  However, it does mean that the next time you are tempted or tried, you will be better equipped to respond like Christ.

Related Posts:
A Seven Year Old's Thoughts on Fasting

One of Those Days {Part Two}

Jesus is Enough

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard-pressed on every side yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed--always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."  1 Corinthians 4:6-10


The other day I was feeling discouraged.  I was feeling inadequate and ill-equipped and full of fear of failure in regards to some ministry assignments I have coming up in the next couple of weeks. The weight of these thoughts was beating me down.  I cried out to God in the midst of my struggle to tell Him how inadequate I felt and how much I needed Him.

I said, "Lord, you know me.  You know I am broken.  You know I am inadequate.  You know I can't do this."

Very quietly in my spirit, I heard.  "You're right. You can't.  But I can."

Immediately the heaviness left me as I had the revelation that I can't do it and that is ok because I KNOW the One who can.  I am not adequate, but I KNOW the One who is.  I am broken, but I KNOW the One who makes us whole.  Jesus is enough and I don't have to be.  How freeing!!!

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, the excellence of THE POWER may be of God and not of us.

Jesus died for us so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.  Jesus died to give us everything we need in Him.  He alone is enough!!!

My pastor, Jeremy McGinnis says:   Jesus + nothing = Everything

Jesus is our everything.  He is our all in all.  He triumphed over darkness and over the enemy.  He defeated death and sin on the cross.

If you are feeling inadequate or less-than today, I just want to encourage you that YOU ARE RIGHT, you are... by yourself!  But, WITH JESUS, YOU ARE ENOUGH because HE IS.  YOU ARE ADEQUATE because HE IS.  YOU ARE MADE RIGHTEOUS because of HIM and the price He paid for you.

Happy Good Friday Living Free in Him readers!!  When you see the cross, remember He paid it all, there is nothing left you can or need to pay.  Oh, we praise your name, JESUS!!!  May you be glorified forever!  

Our Rock of Help

Today I leave for Illinois to help minister at the first Deeper Still Retreat in Illinois.

This trip is important to me for many reasons.  I hope to share more on why later.

 In the Deeper Still Prayer Devotion this week, I shared about how Samuel set up a stone in 1 Samuel 7 to remind the Israelites of God's faithfulness.  He called the stone Ebenezer, which means, "the rock of help". Samuel then declared, "Til now the Lord has helped us." (verse 12).

I believe every single word I type (or I wouldn't type it) and this week, I had to live it out for myself. Sometimes we believe the Word of God, but it isn't until we are faced with having to put it into practice that we realize how strong we believe it or not.   I had to decide if the words I wrote were just letters on a page or if I believed them for me as I fought a health battle.  In the devotional I wrote:

"The Lord subdued Israel’s enemies and delivered His people.  We can be assured that the Lord will subdue the enemy and deliver His sons and daughters.  He has been faithful in the past and He will continue to be faithful in the future.  He will do what He has said He will do.  He will fulfill the call and do it, we just need to trust."

Would I believe the Lord would fight for me?  

Would I believe the Lord would subdue the enemy and deliver me? 

Would I believe the Lord would be faithful as He has been in the past?  

I also had to decide if I would believe God over the lies of the enemy.  God had told me I was going to Illinois for this "mission trip" months ago and I know it was His voice and it had been confirmed over and over again.  

Would I believe God or my body?
  
Would I believe the Word of God that says by Jesus stripes I am healed or my symptoms?  

I decided to believe God.  I believe He is faithful.  He is my Healer.  He is my Redeemer.  He is my Strength.  He is my Everything.  He has overcome every sickness, every disease, and every bondage.  Every force of the enemy is under His feet.  

As I am typing this, it is 15 minutes before we leave.  Until this morning, I had been in bed for 4 days straight with a high fever and bronchitis.  Nothing in the natural made any sense that I should be going on a trip.  As of now, my temperature is normal and my breathing is normal.  God is My Healer.  His will will be accomplished!  He will be glorified!  Praise to our God, our Help, our Defender, our Deliverer!!! 

He is our "rock of help"!  

I hope you go check out the Deeper Still Devotional I write and pray for us this weekend!!!  

www.deeperstilldevotions.blogspot.com