Who Are You?

Identity is an important aspect of our lives.  Identity tells us and others just who we are and even what kind of a person we really are.  It's important to human nature to be known as someone either by name or by character.  Without identity, we basically are a nobody, someone who is not known to anyone or by anything.  Yet even without identity we still have some value.  Let me try to explain myself and see if you might fit into some form of identification.  

Now I know almost everyone has seen an animal that has been abused, lost and lonely without shelter. These animals can look extremely homely, sad and even beat up. They can be flea infested and miserable.  They don't trust anyone and walk in a state of fear.  No one knows where they came from or if they have been called by a certain name.  To approach one of these lonely creatures takes a lot of patience and love.  Let's say you are one of those kind-hearted people that just have a real soft spot for these unloved creatures and you run across one.  You open your door one morning and find it sitting on your porch or deck trying to stay warm and safe.  You don't really want to take it in because you have enough to handle already.  What's the first thing you do?  Well, if you are like me your first reaction is a bit of shock seeing this animal there and then you wonder to whom it belongs.  After watching it for some time and trying to offer it a bite of food and water you hope it will just move on, maybe to a neighbor's house.  Finally, you give in and try to comfort the poor thing, you call it names that describe it like smelly, ratty looking, scroungy, dirty, diseased, filthy, scared and afraid.  You may even try to persuade it to move on.  You know if you call the animal authorities they will handle it but would more than likely put it down.

Now, what to do?  You decide to take the animal in by making it a shelter and leaving it some food and water.  You try to befriend it so you can care for it.  Once you have earned its trust and the animal allows you to approach it you would naturally want to clean it up and mend its wounds.  So you do the best you can and befriend this poor, filthy, stinky animal and clean it up, mend its wounds.  You care for it over time and this animal now becomes part of your life.  This once homeless and bewildered animal now has value, only all those names that described it before no longer fit so you embark on finding it a new name that would match its personality somewhat.  This once-lost creature that had no value whatsoever now has value if not to anyone else it does to you.  Its value is not based on the amount of care and expense you put into the animal, its value is based on the friendship that developed between the both of you.  This animal that you have now renamed and have given value to has a new identity and will be known from now on by the name you gave it.

When life has dealt you some pretty serious blows and you are beaten down with the wild winds of hurtful words or your boss is always getting on your case about your performance you become like that animal that is lost, broken and valueless.  The constant blows to your ego and your worth have caused you to look at yourself in a whole new way.  Now you call yourself stupid, ugly, fearful, alone, unworthy, failure, sinner, nobody, and the list could go on.  This is your new identity, this is how you relate to yourself and others now. You stay away from people, you really aren't concerned about who they are anymore, your view of life has taken a downturn making you unimportant and valueless, just like that poor animal cowering on your porch away from others, away from society.  This is who you have become, the names you call yourself or the identity you convinced yourself that you are.  

Then, someone approaches you, reaches out in friendship trying to persuade you to reach out in return and receive that friendship.  They speak kind words, words of encouragement and praise.  This new friend has just called you good, helpful, worthy and intelligent.  Now you begin to see yourself in a new way and realize that life is not all that bad.  Do you wish you could find a friend like that, one that would never harm you or let you down, would be there when the chips were down and life was delivering its scathing blows again?  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.  John 15:13, John 3:16, Mark 15:25 "It was nine in the morning when they crucified him.

There are two ways to name yourself. One way is to list all the negatives in your life and face each day like this:  Hello, my name is_______! place in the blank the negative you are feeling for the day.  That is who you are going to be all day, maybe all week.  If the negative changes, place that new name in the blank and call yourself that because that is who you are and that is how you are going to see life.  John 10:10 says; "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; Then in 1 Peter 5:8  we find the devil doing this; Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Those negative names you are calling yourself come from him, the devil.  He wants to destroy you and take away any hope of seeing yourself in a better way.

The second way you can name yourself is to say; "Hello, my name is________! place the positive name about yourself in the blank.  That is who you are going to be for the day or even the week.  You see, there is power in a name and that name is going to identify you.  Now, let's say you are a believer, a Christian.  You have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, but life has just been brutal to you lately and you find yourself falling toward the negative again.  The first thing you need to do is open up God's word and begin finding out just who you are in Christ.  You see, God has given you some names, one in particular, and that would be 'son' or 'daughter' or you are 'my child.'  That name has value, it has worth and carries a lot of weight.  Look at these names you could call yourself; "Hello, my name is______! Successful, brave, loved, precious, worthy, forgiven, whole, beautiful, wise, able, understood, and the list could go on.  John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Here's a list of names the enemy of God, Satan, calls you daily, trying to knock you off course with his cheap threats: cowardly, no good, failure, sinner, stupid, ugly, unworthy, guilty, afraid, etc.  Now look at the names God calls you;  Forgiven, worthy, a child of God, beautiful, genuine, blessed, etc.

Here are some important scripture references to meditating on concerning who you are.  Take time to not only read them but study them, think about them, and apply them to your life by saying "Hello, my name is________. You fill in the blank.

Being a child of God:  Galatians 4:7, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 5:4, James 2:5, Proverbs 14:26, Isaiah 25:4

Your worth:  John 3:16, Matthew 10:31, Luke 12:7, Romans 5:1, Romans 10:13

Being Loved:  1 John 4:10, John 15:9, Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 4:18, Song of Solomon 8:7, Romans 3:18

Being fearless:  1 John 4:18, Proverbs 24:21, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Psalm 37:7, Psalm 37:1

This is just a sample of the Word you can turn to.  Take time and look up scriptures that would pertain to your situation and apply them to it.  Trust in Gods Word, have faith in Him to bring His promises to pass.  If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Gods only begotten Son who was crucified for all of our sins, then you are a child of God and He loves you beyond anything you can imagine, John 3:16.  You don't have to live in fear, you don't have to wonder if you are loved, because God revealed His love for you on the cross with His Son.  You are successful in Christ because being one of His children entitles you to be a partaker of His inheritance, you don't have to worry or fret about anything because God cares for you more than you can ever comprehend.  You, my friend, are a Child of God.  

If you have not placed your belief and trust in Jesus Christ then you can do it right now.  Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8.  It's a matter of praying a simple prayer, talk to God and tell Him your desire to become a Child of God.  Confess that you are a sinner and let Jesus Christ be the Lord of your life.  John 10:9-11, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

After reading the above scriptures and you would like to believe in Christ, then follow the above instructions.  Tell God you want to follow Jesus Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) to come into you and create a new nature in you.  Repent of your sins, (repent means to turn around and go the other way). Thank God for His Son and ask Him to help you live according to His will and word. If you have done this then go tell someone else what you have done, "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:9.  Seek out a bible believing church and seek fellowship with other believers like you.

May God bless you as you journey with Him through this life and may your new identity in Christ be all that you will ever need to be positive and happy.  The Lord loves you!!


I would like to give credit to the author Rachel Anne Ridge for her book "Flash."  The idea of a lost, lonely and raggedy animal I used was inspired by the character in her book, a donkey they called Flash.  Also the portion I used about writing your name is also from her book.  I would recommend this book for your reading, it has some great truth's that were inspired by Flash.  The book "Flash" is a true story written by Rachel.