There is something uniquely powerful about knowing who you are.  Yes, it sounds like a cliché that you’ve heard a million times, but do you realize how much truth and power that statement holds? Identity is vital because it determines how I define myself, and it determines which source I will choose to draw my worth from.

We ask ourselves the question, “Who am I?”  And likely, that question prompts more questions like, “Am I what I do?  Am I what I’ve done right?  Am I what I’ve done wrong? Am I what others have said about me?”

So, what defines me?  If what I do defines me, I will constantly judge my worth by my works.  If I define my worth by what others think of me, then I will live my life trying to please people.  If what I achieve defines me, then success or failure will have the power to give and take my self-value and self-worth.

Experts tell us that our mental health is directly linked to how clearly we see,  and how true we remain to our real, authentic self.  The mind is never in such a state of “dis-ease” as when it is at odds with the Source of life.  The one unchangeable fact about identity is I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM.  That is my real, authentic self.  Therefore, when I create any other version of me through my thoughts, beliefs, words, or actions… I am thinking, speaking, and living contrary to my true authentic self.  And if I choose to live this way for an extended period of time, mental “dis-ease” is sure to follow.

How do I know the true me?  Here are a few facts that can help us answer that question.  The first fact is that I am a living soul, because, just like Adam and Eve, God breathed the breath of life into me (Gen. 2:7).  The breath of God is my source of life.  I am nothing until God breathes His breath of life into me.  That is what gives me life and makes me something.

The second fact is that I am created in the image of God.  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27 ESV)  We learn in 1 John 4:8,16 that God is love.  Therefore, I am created to be love.  Love is at the very core of my existence.  Love is who I am created to be.  And I will not be happy or at peace if I am living any other way.

Here are some more facts that I love to remind myself of daily.

1.  I am chosen by God.  “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world…”  (Ephesians 1:4 NIV)

2.  I am accepted.  “Jesus treated us much better than we deserve.  He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life.”   (Titus 3:7 CEV)

3.  I am valuable.  “You are a people holy to the Lord your God.  The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 7:6 ESV)

The core truth is I can only find me…in Him.  I am not defined by what I do; I am defined by what Christ has already done at Calvary.  I am not defined by what I achieve or fail to achieve; I am defined by the grace He has given me.

I pray these simple words will set you on the path toward finding your true identity in Christ.  And if you are lost, let grace lead you home.