Do you want to reach your God-given destiny? You can. The key to unlocking that reality is knowing and accepting who we are based on God’s Word. God’s Word is the unchanging truth. 

How (Not) To Know Your Identity

Many people define themselves by their mistakes. They rehearse them and label themselves by them. Others are concerned about what others think about them. But thankfully, our identity doesn’t depend on the inaccurate things others think and say about us. What about our friends? Some define their identities based on the types of friends they keep, hang around with, or have. We can sometimes view ourselves in a way inconsistent with God’s Word because of what we’ve experienced. This view of ourselves can, unfortunately, lead us to live lives outside of God’s best for us. These alternative and wrong views or voices draw our attention away from who we indeed are, our authentic selves, as God’s chosen people. 

Our God-given identities are ones we must embrace with all our hearts. Regardless of what we’ve experienced, God’s Word assertively defines, and should define, us always. What He says about us is the absolute, infallible, Truth, not a relative truth. By grasping them, we can be our best and genuine selves and fulfill our God-given mandates. We can live consistently based on God’s Word and avoid falling prey to the devil’s temptations.

Understanding our identity, therefore, is critical to our success in life. To reach our highest potential for God’s glory, we must realize and hold on to who we are in Jesus Christ. 

Our view of ourselves shapes us, often unconsciously. It determines how we make our decisions and live. It determines where we end up in life. 

What Does The Bible Say?

God made us in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). But in this world, it can be challenging to embrace realities that affirm who we are, although true. 

Nonetheless, it’s vital that we understand, embrace and walk in our identity. However, we can only understand our identity accurately through Scripture. The Word of God, for instance, tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9). The Word of God also tells us that we are loved, precious, honored and important to God (Isaiah 43:4). We are valuable, and worth the precious blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). He has crowned us with glory and honor, and we are God’s prized possessions (Psalm 8:5, James 1:18). Also, we are His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). 

However, do we believe those truths consistently? I know we struggle with accepting their reality sometimes, but again, they are the truth, and we’ll do ourselves a great favor when we cling to them and let them direct our actions. 

God knew that in this world, we would have troubles. Yet, he gave us His superior Word to help us understand our identity in Him despite the storms and tribulations we’ll face. 

Why Should We Know Our Identity?

Our identity is linked to our sense of self-worth. We can live the way God called us to when we know who we are. We can have that great self-worth and value that only God can give. 

Knowing who we are grants us healthy self-esteem. When we know who we are, we can value and treat ourselves accordingly. We can also determine what we accept and don’t accept in our relationships. We can have the healthy self-esteem we yearn for when we perceive ourselves as God does. 

When we know how God sees us, it boosts our confidence. It also assures us of who we are and tells us how much God loves us. We begin to trust that we’re free to live the way God wants us to. We gain godly confidence. 

Our sense of self-worth, healthy self-esteem and confidence lead us more easily into our God-given destinies. The ability to reach our God-given goals will emerge from how we see ourselves, how we feel and what decisions we ultimately make due to our perceptions of ourselves. That’s why focusing on who we are in Christ is paramount. 

When we know who we are and the talents and gifts that God has given us, we can use them correctly to achieve His purpose. We can use our gifts and skills effectively to promote the Kingdom of God. We can use them to fulfill God’s calling and purposes. We can use our gifts, talents, and presence to bless others! 

How Can We Understand Who We Are?

Spend time in prayer. When we pray and cast our anxieties, cares and fears to God, He can show us who we truly are. He can show us the strength that we possess. He can reveal to us, through His Word, through others, within our hearts, who we indeed are, who He made us to be. 

Spend time in the Word of God. When we read the Word of God, we read several promises affirming us, showing us how much God loves us. The Word of God is our manual for life. As such, we must look to it intently to direct us and shape our minds. Scripture tells us that the Bible is like a mirror. It reflects to us who we are. When we look at ourselves, considering how God sees us, He’ll change us. By reading the accounts of the Israelites and other faithful men and women of God in the Bible, we can believe that how God sees them is how He sees us, too. What we need to do is to accept that reality. 

Surround ourselves with the right people. When we’re around the right people, they’ll speak words that positively impact our self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence. It’s therefore advisable to stay around encouraging people and those who treat you as the type of person you are because you are a child of the Most High God, royalty, and valuable in His sight. 

Speak well of ourselves. I’m talking about both internally and audibly. We must speak over our lives what God speaks over us. By doing so, we bless ourselves. God blesses us, so we should bless ourselves, too. We can do so by saying what His Word says about us over our lives as often as we remember. We must always speak well of ourselves and disallow others from speaking negatively of us, our talents and our gifts. 

Knowing who we are tremendously impacts our sense of self-worth, esteem and confidence. It affects how we act, who we become and what we accept. It impacts us in our callings and can lead us to our destination when we consider it solely according to the Word of God rather than based on the circumstances we’ve been through, are going through or will go through. As we embark on the journey of understanding our identity, I pray that the Lord will open our eyes to see who we are according to His Word. We’ll be amazed at how genuinely beautiful God made us!