DAY 20

DISCOVERING OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

STEVEN DEMICK, WORSHIP PASTOR

How do you identify yourself? When confronted with the question of identity, we frequently respond with tangible, external markers: our careers, nationalities, familial roles, or accomplishments. We might identify ourselves by our income, the cars in our driveway, the assets we’ve accumulated, or our social status. Not all of these things are inherently bad, but we need to ask the question: do they speak to who we are at the core? What if our true identity is rooted in something much more meaningful and real?

In scripture, the Apostle John repeatedly identifies himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Instead of describing himself as a trained fisherman, one of Jesus’ closest confidants, or a prominent leader in the faith, John reaches for a better and more accurate description: the disciple whom Jesus loved. John 13:23 speaks to this affectionate relationship as the beloved disciple leans against Jesus’ chest while the other disciples engage in conversation. Overall, when describing himself, it’s clear that John doesn’t focus on the external markers like his career, his social status, or his accomplishments. Instead, his most accurate characterization lies within his relationship with Jesus.

Similar to John, the truest identifying factor of your life can be your relationship with God! In fact, I believe that God is calling you and me into new depths of intimacy, where the source of our identity is found in Him, not in the worldly or lesser things in this life... where we are satisfied in His love, where we’re led and drawn in by His Spirit, where we discover our purpose and calling in this life, where we recognize the authority of Jesus in our lives, like Paul declared,

“not I who lives but Christ in me.” But how do we get there?

The solution is straightforward: draw near to God through prayer. Leonard Ravenhill once stated, “One place alone will keep the heart in passion and the eyes in vision—the place of prayer.” Do you want a thriving, flourishing, passionate relationship with your creator? If so, do you pray? I don’t mean token prayers or brief requests that you would be safe praying in a car ride or that God would bless a meal, although these prayers aren’t bad. Rather, are you spending intentional, extended time alone in God’s presence? It’s in this place of prayer that we can open up our hearts to Him, soak in His Word, and be filled afresh by His presence. It’s in this place where our hearts are aligned with our Father’s heart, ultimately centering us in his divine love.

Spending time with the Lord is the only pathway to uncovering our spiritual identity as children of God. Like the Apostle John, when we seek Him, our focus shifts from external markers and onto the truth about who God is and how he feels about us. We can come to a place where our relationship with God is central and everything else is secondary. No longer do we need to define ourselves by external markers or worldly expectations. Instead, through prayer and intimacy, we discover our identity as beloved children of God.

PRAYER

Lord, today I acknowledge the truth that I can only find the true source of my identity in Your presence alone. Nothing and no one defines me except for You. You are my Father and I am Your child. Today, I choose to create a rhythm of intimacy, intentionally seeking You every day. Help me to prioritize extended time in Your presence because I know that You are everything that I need and more. I love

You, amen.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. —Matthew 7:7