The Journey - Who Am I?
I was surprised how challenging it has been to write today’s blog. I have been taught and studied many times what God says about me. So, I was caught off guard when it was hard to write about it.
As I wrestled with it this afternoon, I became aware of my own struggle to believe what God says about me. I slip into thinking I need to measure up. Or I can be so focused on what others think. I need God to remind me, remind my heart, what He says about me.
In the midst of my wrestling, I remembered what God says: Come to Me. I love you. You don’t need to clean yourself up. You don’t need to show me your accomplishments. I know your past, I know you inside and out… and I love you.
I have to rehearse the truth of who God says I am.
This post is a reminder to me, and perhaps to you too, that God is the One who has created and knows our identity. He is the only One who can tell us who we are. He made us in His image; we are God’s Image Bearers. He invites us to become like Jesus by becoming Jesus’ Disciples. And the most profound truth for me today - He says we belong to Him and calls us Beloved Children. We need these reminders, over and over and over again…
Our Search For Identity
So many days, I get tripped up. Do you? I fall into one of these false views of identity: (1)
I am what I do. My accomplishments define who I am and what my value is.
I am what others think of me. My reputation is what matters. People tell me who I am.
I am what I have. My ownership of things (my stuff, health, appearance) creates my identity.
Each of these is a false identity. They deny the truth about us and prevent us from living a real life with God.
If I focus on my accomplishments, I have to keep accomplishing. The demands to perform never let up. If it’s my reputation, I’ll be in other people’s heads all the time, trying to figure out what they think. I can become a people pleaser and miss God’s presence in my life. If it’s what I own, my time and energy will be consumed by acquiring and maintaining things that will break or get old. It’s a treadmill that ends up going nowhere.
So let’s look at the truth.
We Bear God’s Image.
As God’s image bearers, we have infinite value. We don’t do anything that makes us more valuable. And there is nothing we can do that diminishes our value. We are made in His image.
So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
He knows us, and we can know Him, because He made us to be like Him. This is a wild and yet unchangeable truth. Each of us is made in His image. We learn to more fully express and enjoy our likeness by learning to be more like Jesus.
We Are Disciples of Jesus.
We are always learning what it means to be more like Christ. Just as we learn anything, we grow, make mistakes, get frustrated, and continue to learn. This is God’s desire and plan for us.
A wonderful mentor of mine, Winnie, used to say she wanted to be a “Continual Learner.” And she is. She faithfully observes Jesus’ life in Scripture and seeks to do the things He did. A Continual Learner is really a Disciple or Apprentice to Jesus. We learn from Him to become more like Him. We can do this by reading the Gospels, paying attention to what Jesus said and did, and seeking to do the same. Scripture backs this up.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–38
The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Luke 6:40
Being an Image Bearer. Being a Disciple. As I ponder these truths, I am thankful for these reminders. The identity that I struggle the most with, that is key for me, is Beloved Child.
We Are God’s Beloved Children
Grasping our belovedness changes everything. We are loved and accepted just as we are. We do nothing that can change our identity as God’s Children… as God’s Beloved. We know this because God’s foundational character is love. Life with God is a life of love.
God is love. 1 John 4:8
The more we can live into this truth, the more joy and peace we will experience. The more love we can give to others.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. 1 John 3:1
To help us understand God’s love for us, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15:11-32. The prodigal son has taken his inheritance, spent it all on wild living, and ended up feeding slop to pigs. At this point, he comes to his senses, returns to his home, hoping his father will take him back. He expects to be treated as nothing more than a hired hand. Instead, his father receives him with a huge embrace and throws a party!
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20
God loves us, delights in us, does not demand we shape up to earn His love. No matter where we are, when we turn to Him, He runs to us. He embraces us and tells us who we really are.
Receiving and Inhabiting Our Identity
How can we learn to live from our true identity? Ask God. Simply ask Him, “Please let me know that I am Your Beloved. Show me. I don’t know how. I’m open.” (2)
Can you think of a time when you had a loving conversation where you felt understood, known, and accepted? This is the kind of conversation God longs to have with you. It’s a conversation that can take place in quiet as you read your Bible. You can have it as you drive across town. Perhaps on a walk, you can chat with God. Maybe a worship song will remind you of His love for you. God is always with you, so you can talk with Him any time.
Seeking and settling into our identity as Image Bearers, Disciples of Jesus, and Beloved Children is a lifelong journey. Each step along the way brings greater freedom from harassing demands to “be somebody.” God has already given you and me an identity. Our God-given identity is grounded in and surrounded by His love.
Next time
Next blog post will be a practice that will help you more deeply embrace your identity as God’s Beloved.
An Invitation
Are you interested in learning more? Renovare has a free six-week course, From the Inside Out, that goes deeper with these topics. I’d love to have you join me in a small group at Shallowford. Let me know if you are interested! Email me here - anne@shallowford.church
Additional Resources
Renovare Articles
Book by Henri Nouwen
References
(1) Henri Nouwen, You Are the Beloved: 365 Daily Readings and Meditations for Spiritual Living: A Devotional (New York: Random House, 2022)
(2) Trevor Hudson, Renovare Residency Lecture, 9/15/23.
_______________________________________________________________________
If you don’t know me already… my name is Anne Greski. I serve as Women’s Ministry Director at Shallowford Church. I am a second-year student at the Renovare Institute, where I am learning how to enjoy life with God and share the deeper journey of Spiritual Formation in Christlikeness with others. My great desire is to experience friendship with God, and learn to love as God loves. You can reach me at anne@shallowford.church