Identity: Who Does God Say I Am?

What is identity? How can we discover it and know our worth and value?

Identity is defined as the qualities and beliefs that distinguish a person. Our identity is the core of who we are. Everything we do and say stems from our confidence in who we believe we are. We make decisions or take certain courses of action because of where we place our identity. Bottom line, our identity affects every area of our lives. This is why pinpointing the source of our identity is so important.

All throughout the Bible we are reminded that we were made in the image of God.

As women, we are described as daughters of the Most High God.

Everything that we are, every perfect and imperfect quality we possess, was created with intention, thought, and purpose by the God of the universe.

The truth is, no one and nothing can take away our God-given identity, but it is up to us to accept our inherent worth and identity.

When you don’t know your worth, you are like a paper in the wind — you go wherever the wind blows, you allow the circumstances around you to dictate where you go and who you are rather than searching deep within yourself and discovering who you are and why 9 you were put on this earth.

Many pressures and forces try to define who we are. When we bend to those pressures, our view of ourselves gets hazy, and we have a harder time seeing the image of God looking back at us in the mirror. Friends, don’t let others’ inability to see your worth make you question how you see it. So while many are losing their sense of self, how can we be the exception?

You might not like my answer. You don’t have to believe what I’m going to say. But all I can share is what I believe.

There is only One who can satisfy you, fill you, sustain you, and tell you who you are: The One who created you. The One who died for you. The One who made you worthy and calls you worthy. And the One who hasn’t stopped pursuing you and loving you since the moment you took your first breath — actually, even before that!

You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. Not to that guy, your boss, strangers, the world. You don’t have to perform to be loved. Love isn’t performance based, and if it is for you, it isn’t true love. You don’t have to prove your worth. You are worthy whether you ever see it within yourself or accept it for yourself because God Himself calls you worthy. The moment you stop performing is the moment you start truly living. Here you find peace, contentment, and joy. Here you discover who you truly are and why you were created the way you were.

That doesn’t mean you’ll never face another moment of pressure in your life—there’s still plenty more to be said about my own moments of pressure both in private and in front of millions. But rooting our sense of self in God’s love for us is crucial. Our identity must be anchored in him above all else. But you’re probably thinking, “Madi, it’s one thing to say I don’t have to perform to be loved, but it’s quite another thing to believe it.” Hear me out: no one can tell you more about who you are than the One who created you. Our identity has less to do with who the world says we are and more to do with who God is and who He says we are.

Once we know where our identity can be found, the fruits of our lives will reflect what we believe. You have to decide for yourself where you find your identity. But I believe you will never be content until you place it in the One who created you. Only in believing what He says about you can you become truly confident and content in who you are. There is no need to try harder and fake it until you make it. Rather, take a deep breath, take off the mask, and surrender to Him and let Him show you who you are.

Excerpted with permission from Made for This Moment by Madison Prewett, copyright Madison Prewett.

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Your Turn

Today’s culture may tell us that we’re defined by our bodies, or income, or social status, or fame, or whatever other measure they may use, but it isn’t true. As believers, we belong to Almighty God. We’re daughters of the Most High King! Don’t forget it! Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full