Living From Identity

Do you live from or for identity?

Think about that question. Are you living for identity, trying to prove that you are good, righteous, and holy, or are you living from identity, rooted in the reality that you have been made good, righteous, and holy by Jesus?

In my coaching program, we learned that when we do things in life, we first have a thought that then creates a feeling that then drives us to an action. How we think dictates how we act, and some of the most powerful thoughts are those about ourselves. Identity thoughts generally impact every aspect of our lives.

When identity thoughts are rooted in negative perspectives of ourselves, we tend to do things we don’t want to do. It sounds so simple, but recognizing that we believe something about ourselves that doesn’t line up with what Jesus says about us can be hard without help. Luckily, the word of God and spirit of God that dwells within us can help.

The Bible tells us a few things about ourselves that would be so helpful for us to grasp and believe. Romans, Galatians, First Corinthians, and Second Corinthians all point us to the reality that we have been co-crucified, have been co-buried, and have co-risen with Jesus Christ. That means that at the core of our being we are like the risen Christ: perfect, whole, righteous, holy, and so much more. 

If we are driven by what we think and believe, thinking and believing in our co-risen nature will drive how we live our lives. Sometimes, we attempt to force our behavior to change without changing what we think and believe about ourselves. That results in constant failure and disappointment. Believing in what God tells us will change us. Let’s ask God ourselves:

What would my life look like if I believed my true nature? How much do I need to “do” to change? What am I believing about myself that doesn’t line up with what You say? What do You think of me?