See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! I John 3:1 (NLT)
As a kid, much of my childhood was spent in environments in which I was the minority. It never really bothered me until fifth grade, when, for the first time, I was made fun of by a black boy and his white friends for my dark skin. It happened again in high school.
I grew up in a household in which black history was embraced and black culture was celebrated, but for a long time, I felt out of place. Talking “like a white girl,” something I heard all too often, didn’t help matters. Not only didn’t I fit in with my white peers, but strangely, I was viewed as “too white” for some black folks. Talk about a dilemma. As if just being a teenager didn’t come with its own set of challenges.
For a long time, I struggled to find my place, the place where it was okay to be me – regardless of how I talked or how I looked; regardless of what had happened in my past. Often, I wondered what it would feel like to boldly live out my dreams with the world watching – without the need for validation from others and absent of the pressure to conform. If it was possible, if only I could experience that degree of freedom…
Fast forward to today. Still the same chocolate girl I was back then (and loving it), I’ve now found my place. I’ve found the freedom that puts a halt to me second-guessing myself and compels me to live life with no apologies. This freedom lies not in who I am alone, but in who I am in Christ. Knowing who I am in Him, and fully embracing that identity has made all the difference in my life.
If you struggle with your identity – be it because of race, a difficult past or any other reason, I encourage you to take comfort in who the Father says you are. Embrace it. Boldly. I’ll give you five reasons why you should.
5 Reasons to Embrace Your Identity in Christ
1. You were created in His image and His likeness. (Genesis 1:27) Everything God saw in Himself, He put in you. Therefore, nothing about you is mediocre. You are a masterpiece and everything about you is good. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31 NLT)
2. In Him, your past is no longer an issue. When you assume your identity in Christ, your past experiences and failures no longer define you regardless of whether others choose to accept this truth. When God created you, He was fully aware of what your life would entail. Still, He chose you to be His daughter, and in choosing you, He cleared you of all condemnation. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30 NKJV)
3. In Him, your purpose is no longer a mystery. You are a daughter of the King. You are called by God to bring Him glory, and as you make glorifying Him a priority, He will equip and position you for greatness, leaving you with a sense of fulfillment unmatched by any earthly identity. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT)
4. You will no longer seek validation from others. When you understand that God loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and that He has accepted you as His own (Romans 15:7); when you know that He delights in you with gladness and rejoices over you (Zephaniah 3:7), His is the only validation that will ever matter.
5. It is the only identity that guarantees a promising future. In Christ, you have joy, peace and hope (Romans 15:13). You possess renewed strength despite what life may throw your way (Isaiah 40:31). You have waiting for you an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept for you in heaven (I Peter 1:3-4).
In Christ you live, move and have your being. You are His child (Acts 17:28). Take joy in this even if people choose not to accept it. Don’t conform. Stand out until they recognize; and if they never do, it’s no fault of your own. You can rest knowing that you stayed true to who God created you to be. You have done His will, not the will of someone who fails to understand the call of God on your life. The people who are supposed to recognize it will. And their lives will be made better because of your example. Remain authentic in Him!
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