"Hi there. My name is Julia, I'm 17 years old and I'm a senior at North Cobb Christian School. I'm the second oldest of sixth kids. I love music and play several instruments including guitar, alto saxophone, French horn, trumpet, and bass guitar. Something most people do not know about me is that I'm a "Pinterest need." I am one of those people who is constantly on Pinterest searching for fun and creative ways to create something or to bake something, but in a semi cheap fashion. I'm on Pinterest more than I am Facebook and Instagram. I love Pinterest more than any other form of social media because it tells me what to do and how to do it. It's the place I go to when I need to know how to make that delicious pumpkin spice caramel pound cake I saw in my Facebook newsfeed."
What you just read is what we call an introduction. Let me be the first to say, I hate introductions, with a firey passion. I hate introducing myself, and I hate for others to introduce them self to me because more often than not we introduce ourselves the way we want others to see us.
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Often times we put our "introduction" and our identity in the same category when, truth be told, they are two completely different thins [which is what I want to discuss.....our identity].
All day, everyday, we are slammed with expectations, with standards, and with images of what society says we should, could, and ought to be.
Something most people do not know about me is that for the longest time I struggled with putting my identity in everything BUT Christ: whether it was being "THE guitar player" or being "David and Sylvia's second daughter, Julia" --- that was me until about a year and a half ago.
When I started diving into God's Word, I [slowly] began to realize that my identity wasn't (and still isn't) in any of the things I was putting it in. But that it is in Jesus.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpieces. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."
We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are God's workmanship, we are His masterpieces.
The definition of masterpiece is this: a person's greatest work of art or a excellent example of skill.
When God's Word describes you as a masterpiece created in His image, what do you think? God didn't make you a masterpiece to "puff you up" but so that you can confidently live out your position and your purpose in Him.
Hear me out, I'm not saying you can't be passionate about sports, or about singer or acting, or about grades, etc because you absolutely can be passionate about any of those and I encourage you to be! But there's a fine difference between passions and identity. Passions are like what you like to do, whereas your identity is why you like those passions. Your identity can't be found in those passions. So I ask, what are you putting your identity in?
How you see yourself is often shaped by personal experience. Say your passionate about being an athlete, so you put your identity in that. Or you're passionate about being a musician, a singer, actor, or both. If you're constantly putting your identity in material things, what are you going to do when your tear your ACL and can no longer play sports? Or that record label says you just aren't good enough for them to sign you? Maybe your dream college says your grades just aren't where they want them to be so you can go? Or, what if, you aren't good enough to play college ball or pro ball? When all the material things are taken away, where are you going to pull from to find your identity?
Read all of Ephesians. Why? Because it's not only about our adoption into the kingdom of Jesus, but it's also about our identity. It goes from story to story.
The enemy of our soul is always looking to distort and twist who we are in Christ. When we don't know who we are, many things tend to happen:
1. We try to become something else.
•You were tailored by God. You're a one of a kind masterpiece, there will never be another you. One of a kind masterpiece. You are the total definition of swag.
The accessories, the garments of this world do not fit you. The garment of sin, or the weight of sin on your life is like a FAT man trying to wear SKINNY jeans. It just doesn't work.
Matthew 4:4 "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
--Every time God's Word gets into your spirit, truth is revealed.
--Only the truth can set you free.
God's Word is this truth and Satan works overtime to keep you blinded from it.
The more of God's Word that is in you the more influence you have in the world and the more power you have over Satan's lies.
Satan doesn't want you getting into God's Word because it shows you your identity.
When you get God's Word in you, it's not bout what you can't do, it's about what you get to do.
So maybe you're saying to yourself "Julia this is all great but what to do I do now? Going forward how do I put my identity in Christ?"
Your life, who you are, is bigger than anything you have for yourself. You start by putting your identity in Christ, and in Christ alone because He ultimately is the only one who can and will withstand. He will never fail. Dive into God's Word, and chuck the labels of man in the trash.
