YOUR IDENTITY.

Hey friends. Sorry it’s been so long since my last post but in that time, I’ve packed for my 3 month move, hung out with all the people that I would miss so dearly and traveled 3,000 across the United States. Now I’m in Redding, visiting some friends that go to Bethel School of Ministry. It’s been an amazing week with Shari and Lilly, just enjoying each of my sisters in Christ and being free in who we are. We've laughed and just relaxed and enjoyed the Father this week, while enjoying each other as well. It has been so great to just make some fun memories with these sweet friends of mine; from biking to breakfast, to eating mountain house on the side of the road in the sketchiest town in American, to going to a rodeo, to eating 18 of the 24 hours in a day. We have definitely made some great memories, but we are all so excited about what happens tomorrow. We leave tomorrow to drive to the ranch & we start our amazing adventure this summer. But besides that, I just wanted to make a quick post about something that has truly been on my heart and mind the last couple of days, I hope it encourages and challenges you as much as it has me.

The word that has been ringing in my ear the last couple of days…identity. Who are you? Whose are you? From the world’s view, we might be gorgeous on the outside, we might have beautiful teeth, a great tan an awesome personality or even a hot boyfriend. But I come to you with encouragement today, that is NOT who you are. You are not meant to live OF this world, only IN this world…which frees you from the lies of believing that you have to look like the girl on the cover of People magazine or you have to have the “American Dream” by the age of 25. Your identity is not in things or people, but only in Christ. This thought has been ringing in my head for the last couple of days and the Lord has been so gracious to reveal to me so much about MY identity in HIM. Complete freedom comes when we live so deeply in Him and his grace, that we could care less about what the world says and views us as. That we are so in love with him, that we see Him as our greatest romance, our greatest adventure and our greatest achievement.

I heard a podcast last week that challenged me so much. The speaker was talking about identity and who people say he is, compared to who God says He is. He explained that while its all good and well to hear encouragement, prophetic words and good things said to and about you, you shouldn’t live for them. Anything that people say that would be uplifting/encouraging to you or your spirit is great, but the Lord has already set in stone who you are and what you are called to me... and if its His truth, the He will tell you in due time. He gave an example of a woman that prophesied over him that he was going to be like Moses and lead people into unforeseen places. He said that he received the word but it didn’t change a thing about he viewed himself or felt about himself because he was already 100% sure of what God had told him he was. He wasn’t saying that the prophetic word was wrong he was merely just saying that the Lord had already told him what and who he was in His eyes and that is all that mattered. This challenged me so much because like every other human, I like to hear words of affirmation, encouragement and good things said to and about me…but they are not who I am, because they are said to me by humans and not said to me by my heavenly Father. I am encouraged and encourage you to live in and only in Christ says you are. This is the only way to live because if we survive and love the words of people, we will live out of emotion and their words (and humans love conditionally) unlike the father who loves UN-conditionally. This is all to say that if you live in the identity of who people on this earth say you are, you will live a life like a roller-coaster. Happy and feeling good about yourself on the days that you hear encourage and “good things” said about you and sad/depressed/unfulfilled on the days that no one has anything to say to you or about you. And that life is dreary, unfulfilling and not worth your time. If you wake up every morning believing all the promises of who HE says you are, you don’t have to worry about what kind of day or life you will have because He already delights in you. You don’t have to worry about what encouragement or great identity revelation you will hear that day from someone, because He has already told you WHO you are and WHOSE you are.

You are a child of God. (John 1:12) You are a branch of the TRUE vine. (John 15:1) You are justified and redeemed. (Romans 3:24) You are no longer your old self or a slave to sin. (Romans 6:6) You are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) You are free. (Galatians 5:1) You are chosen. (Ephesians 1:4) You will produce good works. (Epesians 2:10) You are bold and confident. (Ephesians 3:12) You are complete. (Colossians 2:10) You are chosen. (1 Thessalonians 1:4) You are HIS.

So I encourage you and myself as I type this, ask the Lord what He thinks about you and what He says about you because I know it'll be better than anything that anyone on this earth has to say. And it will be truth and will ring in the heavens for all of eternity. You are His beloved and He delights in you and you being fulfilled, but that can only happen in Him. But be encouraged today, if you do not who you are in Christ, just ask. He will be faithful to tell you and patient in the time that it takes you to truly be convinced that is who you are. You might not have known this life and truth before but iI have to tell you it will be the most freeing journey you will ever take with Him. I will tell you that you might wake up some days and not believe all that He says about you but just keep yourself open because He will keep telling you until you hear it, believe it and walk in it. If you live through the words of others you will live in defeat and un-fullfillment, but you are not defeated. If you are beaten by the words of others but you acquire wisdom and learn, you have won. I encourage you to improve yourself daily, but only by the words that Christ speaks to and over you. Only when we shed all self-definitely do we find who we really are in Him. Be blessed.