Identity-Part 1

Don’t you get frustrated when someone says one thing, but does another?  Yet I see that in myself all the time.  How do I get my mind and heart and actions to align?  I’ve been reminded recently that our actions arise from our thoughts & beliefs.

I truly do believe that our thoughts & beliefs come our of our theology (how we think about God).  So where does our theology come from?  Does it begin with God or with ourselves?

[Side note: I LOVE our experience oriented culture...we want to test something to see if it "works" or if it is relevant.  That's TOTALLY me!  But it has resulted at navel staring at times...and a theology that begins with small me, rather than big God.  And leaves me wanting.]

We tend to go about this the opposite way- thinking that we must start with obedience or performance, producing an identity that God MAYBE could accept.  [Credit to Chris Moerman for the general concept of the picture.  He's a cool dude.]  It’s gotta start with God (our theology) and end with our obedience in response to Him.  Otherwise- we’ll get more frustrated than we already are.  We may KNOW in our heads that the above picture is reality.  But we tend to draw a conclusion that we must white-knuckle it through life…this becomes our functional theology.

Jesus could have white-knuckled it when he was tempted.  He could’ve bailed and taken the easy path- the way out.  He KNOWS how hard it can be to obey- really none of us have been tested to the extent He has.

Take a look at the context of when Jesus was tempted.  It began with God.  God spoke Jesus’ identity to Him.  ”You are my Son”.  Principle for me? It starts with God- and who He is- and who He says I am.

Next scene? Identity is attacked: “IF you ARE the Son of God, then….”  Principle for me? The greatest opportunity for derailing me is for me to forget who He says I am.  I must fight back from the place of standing in my identity…and with the Truths in the Bible.  (But I’d love to take it one step further.)

Scene 3- Jesus returns in power , and He also reads to the people in the synagogue a passage from earlier in the Bible in the book of Isaiah.  While we’re checking contexts…This is drawn from Isaiah 61:1-4  <—check it out!  Principle for me? When I remember who He says I am, I am powerful, able to walk in obedience, and speak freedom into the lives of others!

So if I let this story read me, it looks a lot like that picture up there:

1. Because He is who He is
2. He can tell me who I am
3. therefore, I can rest in that and let it change my thinking/beliefs
4. changing how I walk and producing obedience
5. yielding a love for Him and life lived in a powerful way
6. and all the while…being anointed to bring freedom in a tangible way in my life and to others

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