Before the coronavirus pandemic changed all of our lives, Steve took me to see The Lion King on Broadway. Wow! What an amazing experience! Honestly, I was like a little kid in a candy store sitting there with eyes wide open watching the show. It was spectacular!
In one of the last scenes, frightened, self-doubting, Simba hears from his father, who is in heaven. From the starry sky, these words boom, “Simba, remember who you are!”
Like Simba, we often feel frightened, ashamed or filled with self-doubt. Our Father, who is in heaven, speaks loudly, “Remember who you are!”
This is why the apostle Paul, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, power to be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:14-19).
Your Father in heaven wants you to know how loved you are, how much He believes in you and what your calling is in His kingdom. When you are in Christ and you remember you are deeply loved, you don’t give in to self-doubt and shame. Instead, rise up to be the instrument He desires you to be.
So who exactly are you anyway?
Take a few minutes and look up each of the verses next to each characteristic—then praise God for your true identity.
—You are God’s beloved child (Eph. 5:1, 1 John 3:1).
—You are chosen, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12).
—You are completely seen, so you don’t have to have continual attention from others (Ps. 139:1-5).
—You are created in the image of God and as such have intrinsic dignity (Ps. 139:13-14).
—You are strong and courageous and do not have to give in to fear (Josh. 1:9).
—You are called to do good works prepared by God (Eph. 2:10).
—You are alive in Christ and seated with Him in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:5,, ol. 3:1-3).
—You are holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4).
—You are equipped and empowered to do all things in Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:13).
—You are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
—You are a recipient of the wisdom of God (James 1:5).
—You are free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
—You are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:37).
Lord Jesus, as fear and instability rock the world, help me to remember who I am in You and to rise up to be the voice of hope to those around me. In the moments when fear seeks to cripple me or leave me paralyzed, help me to intentionally praise You for who you are. Remind me today who I am and keep me focused on Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, amen. {eoa}
Becky Harling, an author, certified speaker, leadership coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team, is an energetic and motivational international speaker inspiring audiences to overcome their greatest life challenges and reach their full, God-given potential. Her most recent book is Listen Well, Lead Better. Her husband, Steve Harling, is the president of Reach Beyond, a nonprofit organization seeking to be the voice and hands of Jesus around the world. Connect with Becky at beckyharling.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared at beckyharling.com.
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