Be a Monica
Rescuing Your Identity From Your Past
In an episode of the TV show Friends, Monica was catering a party for her mother, when suddenly she realized one of her fingernails was missing. She went into panic mode when she realized it must be in the quiche she was about to serve to her mother’s friends. Frantically, she informed her mother of the crisis only to discover her mother was not upset. Her mother had a backup plan to serve lasagna just in case Monica "pulled a Monica.”
“Pulling a Monica” was a phrase her mother used to identify her mess-ups as a child and obviously did not have confidence that Monica had changed. It reminded me that we have all allowed ourselves to be identified by certain labels. Labels that we have put on our self, or allowed others to put on us.
Controlling, hot-tempered, lazy, impatient, selfish, a perfectionist, demanding, careless, insensitive, greedy, argumentative, late, aggressive, manipulative… you fill in the blank. We continue to tend to accept and conform to these labels and accept that's just the way we are, but, is that the right choice?
The truth is we are not to hold on to an identity that is keeping us from our full potential in Christ. Does that mean we should pretend to be someone we are not? Of course not. We have a new identity in Christ, He commands us to grow to become more Christ-like to fulfill His purpose through us.
Ephesians 4:15 says we will grow up to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
I can be, by nature, selfish and impatient. That does not mean I am to identify myself that way and make excuses for my behavior. My responsibility is to focus on ways to grow each day, week and year of my life in patience and selflessness by studying the character of Christ. I have to make a decision that I will no longer allow myself to stay stuck in an identity that is not surrendered to the Lord, but allow Him to change me in the image of Christ.
Let’s go back to Monica. Of course, she was crushed and angry that she was still being identified by her past mistakes, and cried to her friend Phoebe in distress. And then as a good friend would do, Phoebe challenged her to think differently by asking the question What if “pulling a Monica” could have a new meaning? "Pulling a Monica" could be identified with new and good things, and not the negative of the past. Monica changed her identity and let go of the old beliefs about herself. My sister, we have the authority and ability to do that as well.
Reflection
1. What labels have you struggled with? (read through devotional examples)
2. What label is it time to surrender in order to be identified more in the image of Christ?
3. How has this label kept you from moving into God's purpose for your life?
Goals
Name three things you will do to seek more of the identity of Christ.
We will grow up to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)