Who are you?

So, I am dedicating this post to the message taught last night at ENCM. The beautiful Amy Middleton spoke about Identity during our ongoing Love Revolution series. Open your eyes, ears and hearts, this message is one for the books.

• "How you view yourself directly affects who you are, what you will do, and how you will do it."

Usually people think this goes back to self-esteem. But, I must agree, as Amy pointed out, that self-esteem is a flawed thought process. Self-esteem is mostly feelings-based: depending on how you look, your social status, how you look, your accomplishments, etc. Also, feeling like you're constantly striving to get to the next season, or part, of your life may also be a 'self-esteem' centered problem.
Amy presented some catchy but true quotes.
"The way you leave one season is how you're going to enter the next."
"The grass is not greener on the other side, it's greener where you water it."
Our current society so often speaks of 'finding yourself' or 'defining who you are'. How can you identify something you know so little of? This quote sounds weird, but is simple:
"Trying to identify oneself is like trying to bite one's own teeth."

God identified Jesus before Jesus' ministry even began, right after Christ's water baptism. (Luke 3:21-23)
Jesus identified Simon, by calling him Peter, which means rock, and declaring it into Peter's future. (John 1:40-42)
In the same way, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are a new creation in Christ, so we have to find out identity in Christ.

When identity is found in other things, it leads to insecurities.
Even leading into 'false humilities'. One example of false humility is saying that you are humble but thinking that you are worthless inside. Some characteristics of finding your identity and worth in things other than Christ are: being a people pleaser; having a performance mentality; always needing a boyfriend or girlfriend; being a perfectionist; overly concerned about your looks; fearful of man/unsocial, maybe because you've been hurt in a past relationship.

So that's insecurity, what does security look like?
Security- living according to the reality that God is my hope, security, and identity.
2 Corinthians 5:5-6 says that God gives us His Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Here come more quotes: "Men are most endangered when they feel most secure."
"Tell me who you love and I will tell you who you are."
"Your identity changes how you perceive reality."

So, how do I find my identity in Christ? The message is finished in my next blog.