What happens when you feel you’ve failed? What happens when you’re filled with fear? When your kids get sick of you as their teacher? When you lose your job? When your job gets harder, and you’re no longer having the same successes? What happens when the relationship ends?
In those times, where do you turn? Where’s your hope?
If you’re like me, then those questions I just asked probably hit you pretty hard-especially during this season of COVID, right?
During my 35 years of life so far, I’ve been guilty of believing a lot of lies. I mean, A LOT. And I believed those lies because my foundation, my thoughts and what I believed about myself in those moments weren’t rooted deep enough in Christ.
Colossians 3:2-3 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
I want to share just a few, very brief occurrences in my life that paint examples of lies I believed:
- I was born with a congenital heart defect that caused me to have open-heart surgery as an infant and it left me with a GIANT scar. Growing up I saw myself as broken and ‘scarred for life’ if you will, and sometimes even, a walking medical bill.
- In my late 20’s, I got to a point where I was tired of not feeling healthy. I decided to steward my body well, focusing more on what I was consuming and I worked out 5 days a week and get this…I lost 96lbs! I’ve kept it off ever since. But here’s the problem, my identity WAS and still does lie within my appearance. So many times I struggle with body image and comparing myself to others-am I working out enough, am I eating too much, am I not eating enough-where’s my identity in those moments? I’m focused more on what society tells me to look like, not what God tells me.
- Prior to my current job, I worked for large corporations. I climbed up the ladder quickly in any job I had and I was successful, but it became my life. Sometimes I worked more than 70 hours a week and neglected family and people I love. My priority and identity was within career.
I’ve been especially reflecting on these moments in my life lately, because of our current circumstances. Work is a little more challenging for me, my husband and I don’t get to see our friends as much, church is only virtual, and I’m left fearful A LOT of the time. Fearful of a lower income, friends becoming distant, my loved ones getting sick…
It is so easy to define ourselves and believe the lies. In fact, I looked at my husband the other day and said ‘I’m failing at my job.’ (You can fill in ‘job’ with anything that applies to you, ‘being a wife’, ‘being a mom’, ‘being a teacher’) Now, let me be clear with what I shared above, I’m not stating that things like taking on a healthier lifestyle or being successful at work are bad, absolutely not! BUT, the problem is, when I put my whole identity in earthly things that can be altered, that’s me depending on MY strength, and not trusting God and it’s me saying ‘who I am is ‘this thing’ and that’s defining me!….so then guess what happens? We’ve told ourselves ‘I’ve failed’ or ‘I’m not enough’ or we just feel let down. That’s exactly what I did. There’s a worldwide pandemic right now and life has changed! What WE say about ourselves is not truth. What GOD says about us, is absolute truth! Now here’s the kicker, guess what? You WILL fail, you WILL make mistakes, but DON’T see yourself as everything that’s falling apart or challenging around you, see yourself through the lens of God, how HE sees you!
So, Let me ask you again: what happens when you’re filled with fear? What happens when your child says you’re not being fair? What happens when you lose your job, or the job you have gets a lot harder? What happens when you gain a few pounds? Remind yourself that your identity is in Him. Your life is hidden in Christ!
When our identity is deeply rooted in Christ, that is something that cannot be changed or altered at all.
“He has given us our identity in order that his identity might be proclaimed through us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity. The meaning of our identity is that the excellency of God be seen in us.” – John Piper
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -2 Corinthians 5:17
