IDENTITY CRISIS

The book stores are full of self help books. Books that help raise your self esteem, to make you feel better about yourself. Why do you suppose so many people have a need for such help? I can answer that question from experience.

I grew up very shy and did not think much of myself. Though I was raised in church, it was not until I was grown that the message of finding myself in Christ actually sunk in. By myself am not much, but knowing who I am to God and in Christ makes me all that I was born to be.

I realize that we throw words around that we do not always know the proper meaning of. What does the word Christ mean? The definition that Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gives us is, the Anointed One.

To be in Christ means that you belong to Christ, the Anointed One, and have access to all that belongs to Him. In other words, the Anointed Ones' anointing in you.

Christ is not Jesus last name. I remember when I first heard this and it became revelation to me. I started to view myself,”In Christ”, with all the benefits and anointing I would ever need to fulfill my God given destiny. It had been there all along. I had to find out who I was to God and what belongs to me as His child. Then I had to simply receive it and walk out my life according in it.

Many Christians do not know who they are in Christ. They are saved, going to heaven, but looking for their identity, self esteem and self worth from outside sources. This only makes you easy prey to the enemy because of ignorance. When you become a Christian, Satan has lost that part of his battle. From then on, if he can keep you in the dark about who you really are, he will win many other victories over you that he should never have access to.

Take the time to read the books of Ephesians and Colossians. You will find out what God thinks of you. These books are very similar and uplifting. Let's look at a few scriptures from these passages.

Ephesians 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself.

This is telling us that we are blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed.

Colossians 1:27

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 2:9-10

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power.

There is not one thing in God's word that tells us that we are worthless or unimportant. We are complete in Him. Not only does it say you are in Christ, it says Christ in you. This is the mystery that was hid, that now is brought to light. Christ in us.

We have to loose ourselves in Christ to find ourselves. The fruit of our lives tells who our head is, Christ or us.

When we are in Him, we become one with Him. Our desires become what He desires for us. It is all about Him. We need to get our direction from Him. If we are led by His spirit, we won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. If we are the leader of our life, we are flesh ruled and need to grow up in Him. Your physical body can not function without it's head and neither can your spiritual body function without it's head, Christ.

Let's look at our part in this. Colossians 1:21-23 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight: if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard.

Hold your head up today and know that you are precious to Him. Loose yourself in Him to find who you really are.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.