What’s your name? I’m not meaning are you a Jack or Jill, but rather the names you call yourself, and do those names line up with who God says you are?
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV
From childhood we have names spoken over us, some positive, some not. These names tend to impact our lives well into adulthood. They influence how we see ourselves, and even how we see others. But the question is, as we accept these names, do we check in with God and ensure that they align with who He says we are?
I historically have allowed far too many names to influence who I am. I have allowed names like stupid, fat, ugly, unattractive, lazy, sick, loud, bad, and so many more, to claim space in my mind and dictate what I believe my identity is. It’s possible you carry some of these names yourself.
If we stop, if we look at who God says we are, who His word says we are, we very quickly recognise that we can’t be who God says we are, and who we have believed we are at the same time. It’s impossibly hard to be ‘bad’ and also be a ‘good and faithful’ servant. It’s hard to be ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ and also to be ‘ugly’, ‘unattractive’, and ‘fat’. It’s hard because these identities sit in opposition of each other.
Right now we can claim God as our Father, Jesus as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as God’s indwelling presence in our earthly bodies. When we claim the trinitarian God as ours we gain a new identity.
When we believe who God says we are the identity that the world gives us is less than unimportant, it has no choice but to fall away when it doesn’t fall in line with who God we are. When you align yourself with God it becomes significantly easier to recognise who you are, because you know who He is and He tells you. Our God is so good that He won’t leave you living under a lie.
You are a beloved child of God, your value is worth more than rubies, worth so much that He would sacrifice His own son, His own life. Worth so much that He would choose to live with you all day every day. Your name is most definitely BELOVED.
Karla Rose