To The Girl Reclaiming Her Identity In Christ

“I don’t think I believe you.” “You must be lying.” “That’s funny!”. These are phrases I  heard from my friends what I started to change how I was living after reclaiming who I was  according to who Christ says I am. As someone who used to find their worth and identity in the  things of this world, it was disheartening to face speculation instead of encouragement when I  started to change how I was living my life. It was discouraging that people close to me did not  think that I was actually making the choice to turn away from sinful patterns, and it made me  feel ashamed for living a life full of mistakes. I felt a loss of confidence in my decision to find  my true identity in Christ, and I won’t lie, for a moment I began to doubt if that was the path I  was supposed to go on, or if it would just be better to stay where I was. I found it was harder to  think of the idea of breaking those habits, and I thought that if my friends didn’t think I could,  then maybe it was best if I just gave up turning a new leaf. But man, I am so glad that I ignored  those lies and dove into the truth of what God says about me. Romans 8:38-39 says that “For I  am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the  future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to  separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. How beautiful is it that no  matter what we do or have done, no matter what or who tries to come against us, that there is  absolutely nothing in this world that can separate us from the love of Christ. This means that  even though we may have lived a life that did not glorify God, we can still come back to Him at  any time, and he will embrace us with open arms and encourage us. This makes me think of the  parable of the Prodigals Son. A father’s youngest son runs away, spending his inheritance on  foolish and unimportant things, while the oldest son stays and worked hard for his father. The  younger son, after spending all his inheritance, returns home alone, in a state of shame and  poverty. Instead of turning his son away because of the choices he made, the father runs to meet  his son and shows him unconditional love and forgiveness. He doesn’t meet his son with  embarrassment or anger, he loves him just as much as he loved the son who stayed with him and  worked hard. What a great representation of the love that God has for us, that even after  moments of sin, He still wants us and loves us as much as the person whose sin looks different  than ours. 

Reclaiming our identity in Christ does not look perfect, but neither are we. We will still  be faced with temptation, we will still experience hardships, and outgrowing our old identity  takes time and work. We may face moments of insecurity or doubt, especially as we actively  make choices that honor the Lord and align with who HE says we are, not what anyone else says  we are. As someone who, at times, found their identity in parties, boys, and friendships that did  not honor Jesus, when I started to turn down those things, the people around me had a hard time  shaking the perception that they had of the old Molly. Actively making the choice to avoid  situations where you will be tempted is challenging, especially when it has become so  normalized in our society as a young woman. However, the Lord calls us to be different, and  Romans 12:2 tells us to not conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our  mind. A significant change, or radical renewal, is what the Lord encourages us to experience by  beating habitual sin and patterns that have become the “norm” in the world. Leaving your old  self in the grave and finding truths about who you are is a great starting point in reclaiming your  identity in Christ. God says that we are chosen (1 Peter 2:9), forgiven (1 John 1:9), accepted  (Romans 15:7), and that we are loved as the children of God (1 John 3:1).

Staying confident in who you are now that you understand these truths is so important but  is also important to be able to take a posture of appreciation when looking back on your past self.  Although it is so easy to feel guilty and ashamed for the lifestyle that you used to live, it is  important to keep in mind that that was also the version of you that was brought back to Christ.  Beating yourself up about what you have done in the past won’t do you any good, so, rather,  have grace for yourself. God knew what you were going to do before you even did it, and He still  chose you. God knows every sin and decision you have made, but He still runs to you with open  arms and a heart of forgiveness. The Lord loves you where He finds you, but He loves you too  much to leave you there. He is your biggest fan, greatest supporter, and the ultimate cheerleader.  He believes in the potential for you to not only experience a radical renewal, but to confidently make those changes and claim your new identity in Christ, despite what those around you might  think or say. 

So, sweet friend, may I leave you encouraged by this truth from 2 Corinthians 5:17,  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come!” 

Much love, 

Molly