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Earlier this year, I went to a conference that I now know was a divine appointment. God wanted me to be there. After a few tough years I was feeling pretty beat up, became withdrawn just going through the motions of life, completing all the daily tasks on my list, then vegging out in front of the TV. No joy or purpose outside of the daily task list. I stopped participating in a bible study at church, became very negative, worried, and fearful of what would happen next and sure that I was failing at life. I was shutting down.
At the conference the speaker shared with us the battles she had with cancer, like clockwork, recurring every ten years since the age of 15. Wow! Even with all that she was upbeat, positive, looking toward a future and shouting God’s Word and His work in her life to all who would listen. She had a purpose.
The speaker also mentioned her identity statement. Who she is. Identity statement? Hmmm…sounds like a good exercise, I thought I’ll start working on mine. I prayed about it and came up with what would make anyone cry, pick up all their toys and run away. It was about my appearance, my failures in life and every depressing thing fueling my shutting down process.
This was painful but necessary. You see, I lost all understanding of who I really am. I prayed some more, then–light bulb moment! This identity statement isn’t who I say I am, it’s who He says I am! I was so far gone, I completely missed it, or did I? The experience was a necessary turn off the road I was on to a new road; the new thing He is doing (Is 43:18-19) in my life. I prayed some more and, with all that wrong thinking revealed, was given this identity statement:
I am a dearly loved child of God, equipped for His purpose, strong and courageous in Christ, sustained by faith and focused on God.
That’s who I am.
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See related posts in the Our Identity in Christ Devotional Series.
This is the October writing challenge from Five Minute Friday. The plan is to successfully post everyday. We write for five minutes (unedited and that’s a challenge) and stop. Visit FMF to see more posts.
This Photo by Unknown Author.
