121907

a daily reflection

December 19, 2007

Finding Your Identity in Christ

by Shana Schutte

In Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion, Satan asks Christ two questions in the Garden of Gethsemane while he faces death: "Who are you?" and "Who is your Father?"

These questions are not unlike what we can experience when we feel as if our hearts have died and we're facing troubles that are an inevitable part of life.

When we experience heartache, Satan, who is described as the "Accuser" in Revelation 12:10 often accuses us to cause us to doubt our identity and God's. If we are not armed with God's truth, Satan's deceptions can cause us to have a spiritual and emotional identity crisis.

Several years ago, I wrote a Bible study for a seminar. When I was finished writing, I was physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. One evening as I cried, a thought passed through my mind, "Where is your God?"

I couldn't help but think that what I was experiencing was much like Gibson's movie. Just as Satan tried to cause Christ to doubt his identity and the identity of His Father during His most desperate moments, so Satan wanted to do with me.

What's the answer for attacks like these? We need to accept Christ's definition of who we are. It means our value is not defined by circumstances, sin, society, the past, the present or the future. Our identity is only defined by Christ.

It also means accepting what Scripture says about God--that He's faithful, loving, kind and He'll never abandon us--no matter how we feel.

If you're experiencing a trial and you doubt your value to God or you wonder if He's faithful, I encourage you to choose to believe what God says in His Word.

www.runtogodministries.org

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m i n i s t r i e s

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me because

he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted."

---Jesus