Forgotten Identity

 Who are you? 

It's a bigger question than you might think. 

What have you allowed to define you? What is so important that you consider it to be part of your identity? What do you not allow to define you? What are the lies that you believe and accept about yourself?

Identity is a battle, I believe, for many people. Not knowing who we are, or being secure in who we are, can bring up fear, depression, and panic. At least this is what I have experienced.

When I forget who I am I give away the voice to define me to many people, things, or circumstances. Even strangers. I worry about what they're thinking about me, if there is something wrong with how I look, and if I'm doing something right or wrong. Then if these worries become too persistent, I start to feel panicked and start questioning myself. So, quite often if I'm in a panicked state and I make a mistake, my mind can straight away go to questioning my worth and letting in the lies of the devil. This leads to me having less courage to be bold, less courage even to speak in some situations, because I feel afraid to make a mistake. I have second guessed myself, doubted, and ran away from opportunities. Opportunities where I could have made new friends, or something really good could have come from it but instead I decided to stay in the corner with my mouth shut. Because if I didn't open my mouth I wouldn't make any mistakes, right? Except I did make a big mistake. I missed out.

You may chase the things that you believe will bring you security, and acceptance. 

Acceptance is a hard one for me. I am a missionary kid. I was raised in four different countries. Place is one thing that many people let define them. This is why myself and other missionary kids dislike the question, where are you from? It's complicated! For example, I was born in America, but then raised in three different African countries. 

We have moved so many times. Every time we did I left friends or family behind, and sometimes it felt like I left pieces of myself behind too. So a hard thing for me that I tend to go chasing after is acceptance. In Sierra Leone, where I've lived the most, tribes are huge. Family is your identity. So, as you can imagine moving from there to a culture that is highly individualistic is a lot of culture shock. Anyway, after being raised in a community culture, one of the things I want the most is a tribe, and acceptance. Also because we have moved so much, we have left people, people have left us, I not only want acceptance but I want people who think I'm worth staying with. Because one of the lies I have believed since I was little was that when people left it must have been my fault, right? Because people who are close to me keep leaving, so that must mean I did something or I'm not worth being with right? Though it still tries to trip me up even now, it's nowhere close to the Truth.       

What are some identity lies? What are some identity truths?

Lies:

You have to feel accepted.

To be accepted you have to blend in and do what others are doing.

You have to fight for your worth.

You don't deserve to be loved, be valued, or be accepted, thus you are not loved, valued, or accepted. 

You have to work, and earn approval, acceptance, and love.

Truth:   

You are Loved by the One who created you!

You don't have to fight, work, or earn the Love that God has for you.

You don't have to look anywhere else to find your identity. The One who handmade you, loves you more than you could ever imagine.

God doesn't think you are worth something. He knows that YOU are worth saving. Worth Loving. Worth staying with. 

We don't need to prove ourselves worthy. 

We lack nothing. 2 Peter 1:3

We have been called by God. Our lives are not without purpose. Ephesians 2:10. 2 Timothy 1:9

He has saved us. Psalms 18:2 

We cannot save ourselves. We cannot do anything on our own. John 15:5

In Him we are Chosen. He chose you. He wants you. Ephesians 1:3-23. 

Know these things. When the lies come, know the Truth, lies have no power. What God says about us is the Truth. He is Truth. He calls us His own, His Chosen Children, and we are nothing less than that. Don't rely on the world to fill the void that only God can. Seek His voice, and ask Him, look in His Word, to see what He says about you.