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Maybe identity is not something that we think about consciously, but when I reflect on what identity means and how it is a part of our lives, I recognize that we are naturally identified and referred to based on the persons that we are related to or by the roles that we perform.

For example, on a personal level, we may be identified in relation to our parents, siblings, a spouse,  cousins, aunts, uncles or friends. 

Then we may be referred to based on our occupation, be it in marketing, sales, customer service, finance, law, building, professional services etc…  These titles assigned give an understanding of the skills and expertise and even experience that we possess or may need to acquire.

We can also find ourselves identifying with different types of dispositions – for example being cheerful, pleasant, fun loving, outgoing, committed, loyal, dependable etc…

All of these are different identities that we may be familiar with.

These labels mean something; and as a picture paints a thousand words, so these labels or descriptive words also paint pictures in our minds. 

So we may ask, what is in a name, or a title, or a disposition?  They help us to understand who we are and even who we are becoming.

So recognizing this, we can start to understand how important identity is as a child of God.  This knowledge helps us to focus and helps us in our decision making in a very constructive way.

In John 1:12 we are told, ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name’ (KJV).

Also in Isaiah 62:2 we read that God gave His people a new name. in Isaiah 62:3, we are told that God’s people shall ‘also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.’   

Isaiah 62:4 goes on to say, ‘Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: But thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee’ (KJV). 

Some of the greatest human needs are to feel that we belong and that we are accepted.  We tend to go where we feel welcomed.  God wants to welcome us into His presence. He wants us to embrace our identity as His children. He wants us to come to Him, so that He can transform our lives.  

In this world there are many decisions we have to make, yet often times we may have little information or even awareness about the things that can affect our decisions.  So knowing that God calls us His children reassures us that He is interested in all the affairs of our lives.

So as children of God, we can go to the all-knowing God and ask Him to guide us and give us the wisdom to like in this present world.  God provides us with the consciousness of our purpose as His children, and directs us on the path of seeking and discovering what it really means to be a child of God and how He desires us to live.

So in awe and gratitude having been affirmed that we are God’s children, we can explore how this looks in our daily living.

Christian Life Balance has been an area of focus for me, and this involves seeking God’s guidance to live abundantly in all aspects of life having accepted the identity of being His child.

It doesn’t mean that there are no challenges or that everything will go smoothly.  No, but it means that as God’s children, we are prepared and equipped to deal with whatever comes our way in God’s power and we live out His life confidently and in total reverence to Him.

Since we never give up the title of child of God, irrespective of the varied responsibilities and roles we take on, we are conscious that these other roles are being performed in line with what God wants for us. 

Our identity in Christ will also affect how we relate to the societal sentiments and expectations.

Because our worth and value is received from God and we embrace the identity we have in Him, we also embrace the assurance that we are loved and accepted by God.

We belong to and we are accepted by Christ.

In Matthew 16:13 to 17 we read of the interaction between Jesus and his disciples, when Jesus asked his disciples, ‘whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’ (Matthew 16:13, KJV).  The disciple’s response was that some people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist, some thought Jesus was Elijah, and some people thought that Jesus was Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. 

Then Jesus asked the disciples, ‘But whom say ye that I am?’ (Matthew 16:15, KJV). Simon Peter responded, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (KJV).

Jesus responded to Peter in Matthew 16:17, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven’ (KJV).

After reading these Bible verses, I was assured that God also reveals to each us who we are in Him, irrespective of who the world thinks or perceives us to be.

In many ways, identity is one of the foundational principles that affect how we live our lives.

Sometimes just holding on to the knowledge of who we are in Christ provides us with the motivation to continue on; the hope to continue to press on.

Identity in Christ helps us to live with hope, with purpose.

That is something to be thankful for.  Do you agree?

Be Blessed

Alison