Comparison, when not properly dealt with, can quickly rob us of our identity in Christ.
Now, to be fair, there are some comparisons that actually help us. For example, if I compare my life to the Word of God and find that I’m lacking in some (or many…Jesus help me…) areas, then I am able to adjust my standards and grow in my walk with the Lord. But if comparison leads to those always/never statements or causes me to question the way God designed me, we have a problem.
Recently, I was driving around on a shopping day with a friend, and she has been in a battle for her identity, feeling stuck between what she believes to be true – that the God of the Bible is the one true God – and the feelings she has that do not align with God’s Word. But nevertheless, those feelings seem just as real to her as God does. That’s such a difficult position to be in – this space where you know what is true, but the opposite feels more true. That’s hard for anyone, but did I mention that this sweet, sweet friend of mine is navigating all of this while also trying to navigate adolescence? Yikes. I can’t imagine.
(Side note: Pray for the next generation. They are growing up in a world that is so confusing. Every generation seems to wrestle through more and more difficult stuff, yet there is nothing new under the sun. Jesus, be light in the darkness. We need you.)
Anyway, while we were driving around from shopping spot to shopping spot, we talked about some of the thoughts and ideas swirling around in her head, and it was so clear to me that she wanted to be able to define herself, to know herself. And that she wanted to get it right. I so completely relate to this, and honestly, I think it’s an idea that culture really pushes on us. Buzz words like “my truth” permeate our vocabulary, and the more we focus on our truth, the harder it is find the Truth.
Buzz words like “my truth” permeate our vocabulary, and the more we focus on our truth, the harder it is find the Truth.
Since we were driving, and since I love a good analogy, I used my incredible, gift-from-heaven-even-though-I’m-still-making-payments new Chevy Trailblazer as an example (remind me to tell you the story of how God provided this car for me later). I set the following scenario: Imagine that we are driving, and this car breaks down (heaven forbid…she’s still brand new). Does it make sense for me to go online and look up the user manual for a Honda Civic in order to fix this car? “No, that would be crazy,” she brilliantly replied.
“And why is that?” I asked.
“Because this car is a Chevy, not a Honda.” She’s a genius, obviously.
“Exactly. Honda didn’t make this car, so Honda can’t do anything to make it run correctly. I have to go back to the people who made this car to get the information I need.”
So why then, my friend, do we turn to culture or friends or *gasp* ourselves to define us? We have got to go back to the manufacturer in order to get the information we need. And despite their participation by way of biology, our parents did not make us.
It was God who knew us before we were in our mothers’ wombs.
It was God who saw our unformed bodies.
It was God who breathed life into our lungs.
All of the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be.
In the beginning, God.
In the beginning, God.
“Can the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’” (Isaiah 45:9). No it cannot. And just so the analogy is clear, we’re the clay here. God is the potter.
We cannot define ourselves, label ourselves, or be ruled by culture’s descriptions of who we should be. Only God can do that. It’s time to go back to the manufacturer. What we speak over ourselves matters. In order for us to do the very thing we are put on earth to do, we have to know that we are fit for the task.
Before Jesus made a single disciple, His identity was affirmed. Before He spent 40 days in the desert – the place I imagine had Jesus’ humanity thinking, “Here? Really? This is how we start things?” Even Jesus had a “while we’re here” kind of place – before all of that, He was certain of who He was (Matthew 3:17).
And we need the same thing. We need to know who we were made to be in order that we may accomplish what is meant for us to accomplish. If I’m totally honest here, I think the reason I am so passionate about helping women win this fight for their identity in Christ is because I have had to fight so much for my own. It takes one to know one. And I’ve barely scratched the surface of all that is burning in my heart to tell you.
But let’s start here: You are uniquely crafted, fearfully and wonderfully made, perfectly designed in the image of God to do wondrous things on earth before you are united with Him in heaven. Take a deep breath. Feel that? That’s purpose. That’s power. That’s breath in your lungs, proving that you have God-given life and a God-ordained mission on this earth. You are specifically and uniquely designed for a purpose. Everything about you is setting you up for success in the Kingdom. Psalm 139:16 tells us that all of our days were ordained for us before one of them came to be. Jeremiah 1:5 says that we are set apart before we are born.
You are uniquely crafted, fearfully and wonderfully made, perfectly designed in the image of God to do wondrous things on earth before you are united with Him in heaven.
What a timely message! And, I might add, the identity issue isn’t a struggle for just the adolescents. It’s something we have to confront at every “exit ramp” in our lives- like exiting a career and heading down the road of retirement! But remembering that WHO we are is found in WHOSE we are makes all the difference.
Amen. Thank you for that reminder! Every ‘exit ramp’ is another opportunity to learn something new about Him and what He’s laid out for us.