Have you ever been denied? Rejected? Trolled? Shunned? Wronged? Have you ever wondered “who am I supposed to be?” or “what am I supposed to do?” So many things can impact our identity, but only one thing should define it.
Growing up I experienced all of these forms of rejection and more as I struggled to navigate life’s raging waters toward self discovery. I was never satisfied and never happy. I wanted so badly to make a name for myself, but the only names I was making were “loser”, or worse. I took on these names given to me by my peers and that became my identity. I conformed to how others thought of me, and I paid dearly for it.
Even though I’d accepted this as my identity I longed for something more. I knew there was something more for me than this fate as a doormat nailed to the earth.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
When I made the decision to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior, I gave up the identity my peers had tagged me with. All the years spent believing I was worthless, unlovable, disgusting, and useless no longer named me and I began to heal. I began my journey as a Child of God.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
What does it mean to be a child of God?
Being a child of God is to be completely transformed, from being led by the world to being led by the Holy Spirit. You seek to please God, long for His love, and obey His instruction. You are no longer chained to your worldly, sinful brokenness, but set free by the love of Christ who paid with His life so that you could be forgiven and be in a relationship with God.
‘For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.’
2 Corinthians 5:21
With this new name comes your calling as a part of the body of Christ. Each part of this body is given a path and calling, guided down the path He has instructed you to go. As you walk down this path with Christ, growing in faith as you learn more about Him and how to trust Him more, you also learn how to live better as an example of Christ and this identity as a Child of God.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
As we grow into this new identity, growing in His guidance and care, experiencing tests, trials, failures, and successes, we find that there is so much grace, blessing, and wonder in this relationship. We begin to bear fruit in this world, putting Christ on display, and sharing with the world what it means to identify as a Child of God in hopes of planting seeds that will also bear much fruit in their own time.
Bearing fruit is not easy work, and we will face a new kind of rejection as we plant and sow, but while we may be rejected by the world we will always have God to lean on, look to, and sustain us through any trouble that comes.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
Coming into your new self is a beautiful experience. It has its ups and downs, it is not always easy, but it is always worth it. If you have yet to take on your new identity, you can do that now, today, if you seek God out, bring your sin and brokenness to Him, seek forgiveness from a Father who loves you, and believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior who paid with His life and rose again for your sins so that you may be forgiven. Seek a place in this family and allow God to transform you into His child as He so desires you to be. Take on your new identity as a Child of God and see what wonders God has in store for you.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
2 Corinthians 5:15
