Knowing Who We Are In Christ
Friday May 23, 2014
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure ... In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT, 7-8 NIV)
From God’s perspective these things are true about me:
1. I am a loved person. I do not have to earn love. Jesus loves and values me. God says: I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT)
2. I am a chosen person. I have nothing to prove or accomplish in order to be chosen, wanted and accepted. God has already chosen me. Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. (Romans 8:3 NLT)
3. I am a forgiven person. There is no sin too evil for God to forgive. The blood of Jesus cleanses all sin. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 NLT)
4. I am a person of love and power and wisdom. God lives in me and blesses me with new life. God gives me power to make healthy and wise choices. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
God is committed to walking with us while we learn how to live well in relationship with Him and with others. Life will become satisfying as we learn to relax and live in the acceptance of God’s love. We don’t have to perform for God to love us. Self-worth is not tied into any particular success or failure; it is based on the love of God for us.
We need to let go of impossible expectations that we put on others. People cannot love us enough or touch us deeply enough to satisfy the deepest longing in our hearts. They weren’t created that way. Only God can truly satisfy. We need to understand that we have only limited responsibility for the happiness of others. We need to have our own desires and dreams and learn to let others have theirs. We need to allow ourselves and others to make mistakes so that we can learn. We need to believe that God is active in our lives and continue to trust ourselves and our relationships to Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
When our minds are fixed on God, not on our own or another’s problems, we have peace in our hearts and are blessedly assured of who we are in Christ.
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