Identity Over Title
The devotional below is taken from day 6 of Reaffirm Your Restoration by Varsity Ministry.
Scripture
”No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. “
1 John 3:1-6 NIV
I’m going to be very honest and transparent with you. I recently had an experience in my life where the devil tried to define me. He showed me pictures on social media of people that I could never compare to. He told me that I would never be able to do the things that God is clearly calling me to. He told me I’m not talented enough, I don’t have the right resources, I don't have the finances, I’m in the wrong season of life, and I’m still the same-small town sinner that people looked at as an outcast. I had briefly forgotten my identity in Christ.
The world tries to dictate our worth based on different titles in life. When we start to believe those lies we begin to miss out on the blessings in our life. Physically I was at a birthday party, surrounded by friends, laughing, smiling, and even throwing axes! (Pretty Midwestern, right?) Mentally and spiritually I was stranded in the darkness on a deserted island. The lies of the world crept into my mind, and I’ve never felt more loneliness and shame in my life.
We have to be reminded that we are always in a spiritual battle. Romans 6:6 reminds us that “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” We are no longer slaves to the lies of this world. We have power, restoration, and freedom in Jesus.
Focus: Every single day our minds are influenced by social media, ads, billboards, music, television, and modern culture. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, have to stay rooted in the identity we have in Him! I encourage you today to remind yourself of the identity God has given you. You are an overcomer, a world-changer, you are treasured, you are worth dying for, and you are a child of God!
The full devotional and YouVersion reading plan is available for free at https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/14137
More from Varsity Ministry here.