Unending Love, Amazing Grace

Today I was pondering the foolishness of consumerism, (which is the purchasing of products to gain an identity), when suddenly I realized an interesting tendency in my life. I have an addiction to identity. Not necessarily through consumerism, but rather through finding one aspect in my life, and naming that as an identity. I can think back through each “stage” of my life, and think of one thing that would describe who I am. As a child, I was “Martial Arts.” When that was taken away from me, I quickly became “Astronomy.” When that identity was torn down, I didn’t waste much time becoming “Singleness.” And I have found that each time my identity gets stripped away from me, I immediately receive a drive to find another. I feel incredibly vulnerable and worthless without an identity. In fact, the very removal of each of my identities, have felt like a violent tearing down of my very self. Having had another “identity” recently removed from me has left me feeling knocked down and back to square one. But please don’t get me wrong. Having each of these identities taken away from me have been the high points of my life. Never have I been freer from the world, and closer to my Master. Closer to my true identity, which flows from Him.

Before I progress any further, I think I should define what identity means. Identity is the essence of a self-conscious person, that makes him or her uniquely what they are at any one point in time, and which further persists over time despite superficial changes, making him or her the same person at different points in time also. You see, we all have an identity; some show theirs more than others. Even Christ has an identity. His identity was God, and therefore Christ is Love. 1 John 4:7-8. However, just to say that someone is something isn’t an identity. If Christ was changing back and forth from love at one time, and hatred at another, than it would simply be a description of Christ in that moment, not His identity. But we know that His identity of love is continuous even to this day because of Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

As Christians, our identities should be similar to that of Christ. That is why we are labeled Christians. This does not mean that our identity should be Christ, because we cannot all share a single identity. Our identities are what make us different. And as members of the Body of Christ, we should not expect to find another member just like us. Even hands on a body, though similar in appearance and function, are exact opposites of each other. But no matter what, our true identity is something that will flow from the Father, and so we should be seeking Him for it. We shouldn’t be out trying to find something to identify ourselves.

Now that I am back to not having a worldly identity that I can wave around to show everyone, I am once again free seek my identity from God. We are all made to take on an identity, and as such, the desire to do so, is one that God will fulfill. However, we must be careful that we are not out trying to fill that desire with what we think should go there. It will never do the job. Again I will say, it will NEVER do the job. As Christians, we must humble ourselves and receive an identity from another and not just any other, but from God the Father. When we receive our identity from God, we must make sure that it is one that is not only similar but is glorifying to Christ’s identity. Above all, our identity must reflect His Love.

A Love that provides a Path for those who are willing to walk with God. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

A Love that provides a Truth, for those who are seeking to remove all deception and sin. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Hebrews 4:12

And a Love that provides Life, for those who refuse to be held down by death. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”John 5:12

These are the things that should be the structure of our identity.

Once we have the proper structure for our identity in place, it is then, and only then, that we can begin to put everything else into place. This is where seeking the Lord and an openness to the Holy Spirit is vital. I have found that a large amount of humbleness, prayer, reading, and also a great deal of silence, will help in this. I needed humbleness to break down a great many walls that I had put in the path of God. I needed prayer to keep the relationship with the Father alive and healthy. Without that continuous communication with God, I would have been lost as to where the next step was, as well as how to get to that next step. Each and every move that I made was not only covered but drenched in desperate prayer. I also needed Gods Word to be continually open to my gaze. When Scripture is compared to what you’ve been hearing, one of two things will happen. One is that what you believe you heard is shown to be deception, and Gods Truth is put back into its proper place, or what you believe you heard is validated, allowing you to strengthen your faith in the changes God has set into motion. And last, but certainly not least, I needed silence, a great deal of silence, in eager anticipation for God to speak to me. For me it meant turning of the computer, turning off the music, the cell phone, and sometimes even the lights, just so I could focus on Him. I would speak in tongues from time to time, but hushed at the slightest hint that God might have something to say to me. And with every Word I received, I praised our great God, and asked again for more.

Once God Word has been released to us, it is then of the utmost importance to begin making the changes that will be required. Quick obedience should be our goal. Do not let The Thief steal the time God has given you. Look to Abraham as a model for this:

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.Genesis 22:1-3

Abraham didn’t waste a great deal of time debating with God about what exactly was said. Instead, he arose early the next morning and started on his way. God does not give us a Word with time for us to argue with him about it and then go and do it, we must go and do it when he mentions it in the first place. Once we obey, we begin to step into the identity we are seeking.

Once we begin to step into the identity God has for us, others will be able to see that change in us. God will want to show you off. He is a proud parent, when we obey Him, and as such, he is eager to show us to others, especially those who knew us before the change. So please don’t embarrass Him by refusing the outward changes that come with the inward changes. Every identity we take on has outward characteristics of that identity. For example, astronomy comes with a universal view of things, scientific reasoning, and also really pale skin. Singleness comes with a flexible schedule, “play” money, and a messy apartment. The outward changes can almost be harder to accept than the inward ones, especially in our culture. Appearance is everything to some people, but keep in mind that it means almost nothing to God. What is important to the Father is that the inward you, is also the outward you. So if you do make changes on the inside, prepare to make the same changes on the outside. This will change your perspectives, motivations, passions, as well as actions. Each of these will reflect your identity, but I think the one that tells of the inward change the most is our actions. God’s identity is also reflected by His actions. Take a look at Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

So I would ask you to ask yourself these questions: What is your identity? Is it structured by Love? What are its characteristics? Do your actions reflect what you think your identity is?

If you answer no, or just don’t know the answer to any of these questions, then I would advise that you seek the Lord as to why. When we are given an identity, we become focused to our role in His Kingdom, and alert to anything that comes against what God is doing in us. I know that I am still seeking the answers to these questions, but I know that God loves me, and has an identity for me to grow into. So please pray for me as I continue this journey of change that I have tried so hard in the past to resist, and remember that you all are continuously in my prayers.
*with Love: Jonathan Trentham