My two year old was lovingly nicknamed Faithy by her four year old brother. When asked her name, her response used to be FAITHY because that is what we called her. We had to teach her that her real name is Faith. This may sound silly but I think it drives home a bigger point. How many of us are going around answering to a name and taking on an identity and a purpose that is not ours?
Many in the body of Christ are experiencing an identity crisis. We don’t know who we really are for many reasons.
Some of us have allowed our past mistakes to define us
We are not living in the reality that because we are in Christ we are new creatures
The old has passed away
EMBRACE THE NEW BLOOD BOUGHT YOU
And sometimes we are not as connected as we would like to think to the one who created us; the one who gave us our identity and our purpose.
We refuse to turn off the noise so we are unable to hear when He tells us who we really are.
We struggle with being comfortable in our own skin and we allow everyone and everything EXCEPT the creator to define us and dictate the plans for our lives.
Some of us have been called a different name for so long that we forget our real names which are
LOVED (Jeremiah 31:3)
ACCEPTED (Acts 10:34-35)
ROYALTY (1 Peter 2:9)
CHOSEN (1 Peter 2:9)
REDEEMED (Psalm 103:4, Titus 2:14)
Just to name a few.
But now is the time
THE TIME TO RISE UP AND AGGRESSIVELY CLAIM OUR GOD GIVEN IDENDITY!
So you are going to use me huh?
I got some excuses too
But what was that about Him being God and His thoughts not being our thoughts?
His ways not being our ways?
Truth is I got some thoughts
And ways? Boy I got some ways to accomplish those thoughts
But then again, He didn’t ask for my opinions or my strategies
He tells me that I was called before I was born
He gave me a purpose that I can’t fulfill in my own strength
It used to be that when He told me my purpose I would get excited, really excited
Like special excited
But then I would think too hard and become deflated
No way can you use me like that, but wait you are God
I wasn’t really saying you can’t
I dug a little deeper and what my insecure heart was really saying is No way do you want to use me like that
No way do you think enough of me to promote me like that
To sum it all up… No way do you love me like that
That USED TO be my response birth from an insecure heart
But this time around, it’s different
The chains have fallen, my ears are unclogged
I hear what you say
And confidence IN YOU rises IN ME
I grab a hold of every word and I MOVE
I RUN
I MEAN I FLY
No more hiding, that’s so yesterday!
Dear Daddy, I hear and receive what you think of me
I receive the plans you have for me
I. RECEIVE. YOUR. LOVE.
LET’S GO!
I want my edge back. I want that boldness back. As I read familiar passages of scriptures in the book of Acts something has been stirred in me. I remember when I got saved my third year in college. I was an on fire somebody and anyone that was willing to listen, I would tell them about Jesus. I was so focused on leading souls to Christ. Yes I may not have had much wisdom and I still had things I needed to be delivered from but my zeal and love for the Lord and the lost were undeniable. I went when He said to go, I spoke when He told me to speak, and I didn’t rationalize it.
I was crazy enough to believe that I can pray for someone to be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues once they accepted the Lord, so I shared the little I knew and I prayed and God moved. I was not afraid to get straight to the point and tell you that if you didn’t repent, your sins would lead you straight to hell. I said it without apology. I didn’t look for ways to massage the truth, I spoke it just like it was stated in scripture. So as I am sitting here reading the book of Acts, I ask myself, what happened? How did I become so toned down under the guise of, “Oh I just have more wisdom now?” How did I allow myself to become so silent and lose my passion to see the lost saved? It’s not to say that I haven’t been witnessing, I have… but not with the same intensity. I find that I measure my words carefully to make sure that I don’t offend, I overthink what you think of me when I share the truth. But I want it back Lord. I want you to fill me with your boldness, your passion, I want a heart that beats for the lost. A heart that is willing to turn down my plate, and silence the noise so that I can hear from you. I want to learn to pray unselfish prayers, prayers that are not always about me…but prayers for the lost, for the broken, for the rejected, for the hurt. You know the ones that are in the same shoes that I was before you came and rescued me. Yes I have a husband and six children I have to train. Yes I have new responsibilities and a host of other “excuses” that I didn’t have back then. But my God, you are still God and you still want to see the lost come back to you.
You are still the God that breaks chains! You are still the God who empowers your children to cast out even the most stubborn demons in Jesus’ name. You are still the God who fills people with your Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues! You are still the God that moves mountains because of our fervent prayers. You are still the God who heals the sick and raise the dead! You haven’t changed, but I pray and ask you to change me so that I can lead others to you!
What about you, do you want to become bolder for Christ?
We pray. Then we wait. And wait. And wait. We become impatient. Then we come up with the clever idea that God needs our help so we create a plan to answer our own prayers! Ever been there? Confession: I have, more times that I would like to admit. Thankfully I am becoming a little wiser and learning that waiting on God is worth it.
Are you still waiting on God to answer your prayers? What are some things you have done to help you as you wait?
Fasting…that word that most of us Christians don’t want to hear. I will confess fasting doesn’t make the list for the top 10,000 thigs I LOVE TO DO. However as I tell my children about eating organ meats; you won’t always like doing what is good for you but you still have to do it. My flesh loves to be in charge, it loves to showcase itself. However there is nothing like a good dose of fasting to put my flesh in its rightful place. So what does the bible have to say about fasting and why and when should I do it? Check out this article for some answers. Fasting not only has great spiritual benefits, but for a bonus it also helps us on a natural level. Read this article for some of the health benefits associated with fasting. The process of fasting can sometimes be very difficult but I never regret doing it. In the end, I receive mental clarity and feel spiritually energized . I want to encourage you to incorporate fasting as you seek to grow closer to God. Be blessed!
I am learning
Learning to become comfortable in my own skin.
I have been on a journey and have hit many bumps.
It hasn’t been an easy process. I have had to fight even when I felt like I had no strength.
For as long as I can remember I have tried to fit into a certain mold.
Revelation: I wasn’t created to fit, I was created to fly.
Free people not only dance but they fly…they soar.
The human heart is not only desperately wicked but it is painfully fragile.
BUT JESUS
This heart of mine has experienced deep wounds.
Wounds that went a lot deeper than I previously thought.
BUT JESUS
My perception of who He is was jaded so consequently I didn’t know me. I didn’t know that I was fully accepted.
But I now know Him and He is showing me who I was created to be…. did I mention I am learning to become comfortable in my own skin?
The process is not always easy.
I have to fight in prayer like crazy to have a renewed mind…I am accepted, no masks or performance necessary.
Yeah comfortable in my own skin.
I am experiencing a new level of blood bought freedom because chains don’t look good on me.
Who knew that there was a warrior underneath all of this?
Who knew that from all that pain compassion for the broken would be birth?
A compassion that stirs real intercession.
Who knew that pride would fall to the wayside when I stopped trying to be “perfect” so that I can be “liked.”
Releasing pride has given way to humility and humility opens the door to His grace.
There is no turning back. I chose to move forward into more freedom, becoming who I was created to be.
Yeah comfortable in my own skin.
How about you?