Identity Crisis

This past weekend, I had the honor of helping assist with a D-Now for the preteens at our home church.  D-Now is a name given for a weekend focused on Discipleship training- growing in our faith and knowledge of God.  The title and focus of the weekend was "Identity Crisis" and teaching these 5th and 6th graders to recognize their full value and identity in Christ.   It was led by the Children's Minister, Derek Peters, and Minister to Youth, Andy Carroll.  It was such an incredible experience!

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20 NLT)

Galatians 2:20 served as the core scripture from which the teachings came, and we discussed it thoroughly throughout the weekend.  Our old self- with its flaws, shortcomings and failures was crucified with Christ thousands of years ago.  The moment that we gave our lives to the Lordship of Jesus, He came to live within our earthly body enabling us to be so much more than we could have ever imagined.  Redeemed, restored with a new purpose and gifted through grace to accomplish more for His kingdom than we could have dreamed.  That is a Galatians 2:20 life- transformed by grace.

Part of our discussions included the lies that Satan has for us about our worth and value.....

Satan's lies:
You are unworthy because you sometimes sin.
You get your worth from what you do.
You get your worth from what people say about you.
Your behavior determines what you should believe about yourself.

This morning I read the following quote from Stormie Omartian, "The only power the devil has is in getting people to believe his lies.  If they don't believe his lies, he is powerless to get his work done."  When we begin to fully understand the evil one's lies and fully comprehend the truth in Christ, Satan becomes powerless.  Glory!

God's Truths:
You were worth dying for so I could forgive you and save you from sin.
Your worth comes from what God was willing to do for you.
Your value is based on what God says about you.
Your beliefs about yourself determine your behavior.

Read those again and let it sink in.  Can you fathom?  Our value comes from what God was willing to do for us.... wow- just wow.  These truths are life changing.  Suddenly, your life and value is fully embedded in the grace of God and not on your fallible and feeble humanness.  When we fully grasp our value in Him, we are better able to love and extend grace to the world around us.  To be used for His Glory beyond our natural selves.  I read this Beth Moore statement this morning, "A lifestyle of believing God makes you bolder in your love for others and in what you can believe God for in their lives."  Amen!

One of the most important aspects of these truths regarding your worth and value is knowing that it derives from what God says about you.  The only way you can know all His promises for His children is to study His word each day to grow in that knowledge.  This weekend, I noticed that one of the girls in attendance seemed to be sharing a Bible with one of her friends.  I had a small cute Bible that I had bought several years ago because it was small enough to fit in my purse.  It had been a kind of impulse buy and since I started using a Bible app on my phone, I had not been using it.  When the girls arrived at our home for a time of small group study, I offered her the Bible to  use over the weekend.  Yesterday morning as we prepared to leave for church, she brought it to me wanting to make sure that she returned it.  I offered to let her use it for church, but God really moved on my heart that she might need that Bible for her own personal use.  When we arrived at the church and were unloading, I called her aside for a moment and asked if she had a Bible at home.  She quietly whispered, "No, I don't...." and a little part of me broke.  "You do now.  I want you to keep that Bible," I stated.  The huge smile and instant joy on her face as she thanked me broke me even more- that simple act- giving her a Bible is so much more than just a gift.  If used, it can transform, give life, and outline a God-defined purpose for her.  The joy that flooded me at that moment was so deep and filling- that moment, alone, may have been the reason God had me be there this weekend. 

My friend, God has plans for you- today, tomorrow, and until the last breath is drawn.  Realize your full value in Him.  Study His word and live seeking His plans for You and those simple, but life changing moments.  God is real, active and alive in YOUR life. Trust Him. Believe Him.

Blessings!