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You may recall the classic cartoon of a character firing arrows at the side of a barn and then drawing a target around where the arrow had struck. Wasn’t it amazing that he hit the bulls-eye every time?! Obviously the cartoon was intended to make us laugh and show the exact opposite of what aiming at a target is all about; not to serve as a pattern for life or for finding our identity. Yet here we are in a world that is attempting to do just that. The accountability of ‘missing the mark’ in almost anything has become offensive and now we prefer to do away with the standard all together and simply draw our target around wherever our arrow lands. It’s hard to feel good about celebrating an accomplishment in which nothing was accomplished other than self-appeasement. That is true for all people of all walks of life and you are certainly deserving of better. Your identity is much more inspiring and is certainly not a moving target. (Read my post on how our actions affect others here)
What we believe about who we are is the foundation for our worldview and shapes the course for our lives. Our identity shapes our beliefs. Our beliefs inform our perceived limitations and capabilities (boundaries). Our boundaries determine our behavior and our behaviors create our environment. Too often we think we can change our lives by simply altering the ‘lesser levels’ of life. We think changing jobs or moving to a new house will bring fulfillment but, as the old saying goes, ‘wherever you go, there you are!’. The result is the same as we move back up stream, trying to change our lives by simply changing a few of our behaviors or by pushing our boundaries and challenging our limitations. No matter how drastic those changes, no matter how much we demand others see and treat us differently, our identity remains the same and therefore is unmoved by all our environmental, behavioral and boundary-altering changes. Therefore it is at the identity level where true change must take place and Satan is very aware of this. (Read my commentary on Hipster Culture here)
Have you ever noticed that when Satan attacks and accuses you he never simply shames your actions by saying, ‘you did a bad thing.’ He says, ‘you are bad’. His attack always makes its way to the identity level because he knows if he can form and shape your identity then everything else downstream will follow suite. Why would he spend time enticing you to just visit dangerous environments or to perform certain destructive behaviors if he can cause you to believe that is simply ‘who you are’? If you believe that, then you’ll do and believe all of those other things by default. This is why knowing our identity is found in the fact that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ by a loving God is paramount! And even after all our wanderings and rebellion, to know that we have been redeemed and purchased by the blood of Jesus, the perfect Son of God seals our identity as wonderfully made, beautifully redeemed and immeasurably valued. That is true of you today. At the most basic level, the value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay for it. When Jesus died for you (and He did die for YOU whether you believe that or not) He forever set your ‘market value’ at the highest price conceivable; the blood of the perfect son of God. Your value has been set and the price has been paid in full!
In a day where ‘identity’ is being discussed and argued at every turn, know this: until our identity is settled in our hearts and minds by agreeing with God’s valuation and explanation, we will wander through life searching for our identity on lesser levels. You are worth so much more than a target drawn around a stray arrow. You have purpose and a destiny. When that is settled, we can begin to examine the questions we have about our journey or our struggles but only after our identity is accepted and established. Otherwise, you will not have the proper footing from which to explore such questions (and those questions do matter and they do have answers). Like Jesus taught, the wise man builds his house on the rock so that when the wind and waves come, it will stand firm. If you aren’t standing firm, perhaps your identity is founded on something other than the rock. (Read my post on contentment here) Ask the God who loves you and made you today what HE says about you. If you’ll be still enough and quiet enough to hear His response, then you will never be the same. There’s nothing like hearing your Father affirm your value and identity. He is waiting for that opportunity. Will you give Him that chance today? Selah.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. – Psalm 139:13-14 ESV
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” – Matthew 7:24-27 ESV
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. – I Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
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