Why Knowing Who You Are is Essential for Triumph
The first step in finding triumph through hard times is knowing who you are in Christ.
It is quite ironic, because as I am writing this devotional on identity, I am really clinging to what Christ says about my own, and working really hard not to have anxiety over the state of my professional life. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing inherently wrong. I have been given more responsibility and more opportunities to make an impact where I work! However, I also have this lingering anxiety about a fundamental part of my job. My anxiety all started last quarter, amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Our quarter started in October 2021, and ended at the end of December, right before the turn of the New Year. I had been on such a great track, thanks be to God, of exceeding my goals at work for 2 years. Then, it all changed, when this quarter, I just missed my hiring goal. If I had only been able to hire two more software engineers, I could have avoided this anxiety all together! However, isn’t that how life goes? It is not always all daisies and roses. In fact, the Devil, the enemy of humanity since the beginning of the world, knows us SO well, and knows exactly what moves to make in our game of life, to cause us confusion, stress, anxiety, and just plain hardship! It is encouraging in a way, because I know the Devil would not make such an attempt on my life, unless God had a much greater plan for me, and I have potential to glorify him beyond my knowledge. Yet, even with all of that being said, I have experienced anxiety. Worries flood my mind about what if I do not hit my hiring goal again this quarter or if it will be a trend moving forward.
At times like these, we need to run to Jesus, and back to the fundamentals of who we are in Christ. You see, when you are in the most challenging times, that is the time to cling the hardest, and trust God the most! He DOES have great plans for my life, he says so in Jeremiah 29:11-13. I am “fearfully and wonderfully made,” as he says in Psalm 139:14. Lastly, even though my plans may fail, “God’s plan will never fail,” as it says in Proverbs 19:21! You see, it really does not matter the outcome of this quarter. However, I can always hold tight to what I know is true, and what God says about me! I can always remember and have peace and comfort in knowing that though I may encounter failures, it never changes who I am in hard times, and God’s plan for who he created me to be, will never fail!
Discuss with your dream launcher friend a hard time in your life where you felt you either had to hold tight to your identity, or felt you were unsure of your identity. What strategies did you use to get through this time?
Write out areas of your life where you have struggled. What are practical actions you could take to bring these to Jesus, as well as take action on them?
Write out two scriptures on flash cards that are meaningful to you in describing who God says you are, and hang them somewhere you will see them every day, and take time to memorize them.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14 NIV)
Stacy Barbeau
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