Before you start reading this, I want you to STOP.....Take 10 seconds and look in a mirror. Go ahead, I'll wait...……
Done? Now let's talk.
Who did you see when you looked in the mirror? We obviously try to either put the mirror down quickly, fix our hair or sigh at the imperfections we see. Some of us smile and are amazed at how on point our makeup looks, love our fresh new hairstyle and giggle with excitement over what we see. But who are we truly? Do we spend too much time on the outside and who others see? Do we constantly question our identity? Am I just a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, ETC? Or am I something more?
Genesis 1 tells us that we are made in God's image, His likeness, a reflection of who He is. WOW....We were made to reflect who He is! Let that sink in a minute. Now we were not made to be gods but we are made to be the spitting image of the Father.
I have 3 boys, all unique in how they act and look but there is something that everyone can see, these kids are brothers and it's not just outward. You see each of my boys, as unique as they are reflect different personality traits (good or bad lol) of my husband or myself. They were made in the image and likeness of the two of us. To go even further something deep inside us as parents tells us when something is wrong, someone is lying, or when someone is about to get hurt, we just know. Call it instincts or whatever but that is the very same thing with God the Father and us.
Now I know we are talking about identity but to truly understand identity we must know where it comes from. Our physical outward identity as we know comes from our mother and father and all those in their family line, yes even the inherited flaws we try to hide or even change.
Our personality however, comes from many outside sources. What we were told by someone, what we saw or heard on TV or the sneakiest of all, a lie from the devil. Yep even a lie from the devil is an outside source because we are NOT His creation so He can't legally step inside unless we give access (another topic for another day)
Without that breath we are just lumps of clay, statues, a shell. Our shell isn't our full identity it's only the suit to keep our spirit on the earth. God designed our spirit FIRST and then created our outward form to be able to do the purpose of the spirit on the earth.We have been so programmed to this physical realm we forget that we are FIRST a spirit being. God formed us from dirt and BREATHED THE BREATH OF LIFE into us.
I know guys this is some crazy stuff to think about but your spirit is who you truly are!
That's exciting news that means that no matter how painted and chiseled we are on the outside it doesn't reflect the image of God, that's our spirit's job and that can ONLY be done by first receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior and daily renewing our minds so we can be transformed.
2 Corinthians 3:14-18
But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
That passage says it ALL!!!! Without Jesus we are blind to who we are, but when we receive Him as Lord the veil is lifted and we can see who we really are as we become transformed to look more like Him.
What a relief to know that I'm NOT who the world says I am, I am not who people tried to make me be or even the lies of the enemy I believed for many many years, I am who God says I am. I want to share a personal story as I know many can relate and probably felt the same fear and shame I did to even share about it.
This story starts when I was around 12 or so but I remember it like it was yesterday. I'm standing in the hallway at my house and looking into the long mirror we had. It wasn't unlike any other day that I had stopped to look at myself and make silly poses or faces but today something was different, my thoughts felt different. As I stood there I had a thought, "Wow, I'm not that pretty of a girl. I wonder if I was supposed to be a boy?" I shrugged it off and walked away but just like most images the person I saw staring back was burned into my mind and I thought would never leave. Now my dad out of anger had said things like, "My mom was right boys are easier and I wish you would have been one." Not knowing that those words would shape my identity and open a door for the thought to be planted and stick. Now I am not going to tell you I lived as a boy or had extreme gender confusion, I will say however this lie would be watered by the world. Lead me to be involved in things I would immediately feel shame and guilt over. Something was wrong with me. No matter what I did, no matter how many sermons I heard or how many times I did things for God I would constantly struggle with thoughts of wanting to be accepted and hoping I would find myself. It wasn't until a failed marriage and many years of frustration and shame that I finally told my now husband about that day in the mirror and as I spoke it out loud, I realized something that would set me free.
That thought was NEVER mine!
I had carried the fear, shame and condemnation of this lie for so long and allowed it to shape who I was.....BROKEN!
When I started digging into God's word and seeing Him as the Father who had made me who I was for a reason and what His purpose was for me and His thoughts towards me I was FOREVER changed. I don't care what the enemy thinks about me.....he hates me. I don't care what people think about me, they will NEVER know me the way my Papa does. I could be at my worst and He still tells me how beautiful and amazing I am to Him.
My story helps me see people differently and see that it doesn't start with just choosing to sin it starts with a seed and what we do and who we listen to waters that seed and it will bring a harvest of whatever we nurture. As I write this I am in tears knowing there is someone out there with a similar story and maybe you still carry that lie and hurt. But let me just say this truth, "You are NEVER too far gone." You were made in His image no matter the false image you might have right now, your identity will never be true until you ask the Creator who He created you to be.
I will end with this. Imagine you go into an art museum and see you a group of people debating over this piece. The piece is different shapes and colors, strange angles and looks like nothing you've seen before. Some are arguing it's a picture of strength, some say sadness and others are convinced it's a depiction of the artist's life. The crowd is getting louder and louder and then suddenly they stop they turn to see the artist walking up. Instead of asking him first, frustrated they whisper amongst themselves knowing they know exactly what the art is all about. They are simply waiting to say, "Ah ha, I knew it." The artist doesn't say a word, he simply picks up the piece and throws it away. They all turn around, shocked. They see the masterpiece revealed, a mirror titled, "Perfection." You see the piece in front was only a cover for the actual masterpiece hidden behind.
Here's the basics:
1. Only the Creator knows the true identity of the creation. To learn it you must know Him
2. We are not who we see in the mirror or what people say we are, we are perfectly designed and made either male or female on purpose
3. The enemy can use things or people around us to plants lies that seem true
4. The ONLY way to be who you truly are is to know Jesus and return to His image and Likeness
Genesis 1:27
2 Corinithians 3:14-18
Jeremiah 1:5
Psalms 139:14
Jeremiah 29:11
