We Need to Remember

Hello Friend! If you are just visiting my blog after reading my devotional at Encouragement Cafe, welcome! Look around and stay awhile. Today I was sharing a bit of my heart about identity and how sometimes I'm like my daughter...she can be irresponsible and lose her things and I can let my mind wonder and forget who I am. You can read, "I Can't Find It" by clicking HERE.

Friends, there are times I am responsible for forgetting who I am in Christ...I lose perspective, let my mind run with wrong thinking and listen to lies. But if we're honest sometimes identity theft happens in a spiritual sense. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) He will do anything he can to make us forget who we are in Christ.

I've been thinking about this and friend this doesn't just happen when are attempting to step out of our comfort zone and do something for Christ. It also just doesn't happen when we are struggling with our worth and feeling like we don't measure up. Often it happens when we least expect...just like with physical theft. Satan wants to steal our identity...he knows our weak spots and recognizes our vulnerable moments. He will attack when we are weak, sad and alone. He is also capable of using our circumstances against us.

As I sit here typing I find myself reflecting on the week that was...one of the hardest I've ever experienced as I grieve the loss of my niece and try to help my children navigate the road of grief. Thankfully God has been drawing me close and led me to ask others for prayer. I truly believe He is answering those prayers as we find strength to stand when really we just want to crawl in a ball and cry. He is comforting us, but He's doing more. He's whispered to my heart and instructed me to be aware.

Death is hard, it's something we don't understand and grief is something we don't want to experience, yet it's a constant in life. It's also a challenge, a process and involves a cycle. If we're not aware of this, a bad situation can get worse. During this time Satan wants to plant lies, he wants me (and you) to doubt. He longs for us to entertain thoughts like - "God can't be good when a wonderful, 20 year old girl full of life gets killed. Or, He doesn't love you. His plans aren't for good. You don't want to follow Him."

Friend, these lies from the enemy are ones he can use to steal your identity. He wants us to forget who we are because when we do we are paralyzed and no longer able to give God glory and impact His kingdom. So to help us remember let's think about a few key pieces of our identity -

We are God's child.
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

We are created in God's image.  
"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27

We are loved.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

We have a purpose.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

We have value.
"Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:18-19

Oh friend, we need to remember who we are in good times and in bad. May we also not forget that Satan is on the attack! Let's work to be responsible so we don't lose our identity and let's pray that God will help us abide so Satan can't steal it either! And perhaps most importantly in all of this, let's keep our eyes fixed on God and focus on who He is.

Thank you for joining me here, I'm honored to have you choose to read my words, but I know God can speak through your's as well so let's continue the conversation. Have you ever lost your identity? How do you guard it so Satan can't steal it? I'd love to know so feel free to share in the comments or send me an email at jillberan@yahoo.com. 

If you'd like to hear more about this topic of worth and a bit of my testimony as well, listen into my radio interview with "My Journey of Faith" by clicking HERE. 

And I don't want to be redundant, but I want to ask and thank you again for your prayers. We all miss Grace deeply and waves of grief hit frequently and impact each of us uniquely. Also in the midst of grief we are trying to prepare to rejoice and celebrate as Grace's older sister, Jennah, gets married on Saturday. I know God is answering prayers, so thank you again for lifting them!