My Identity in Christ

Daily, hourly, and moment by moment, I must stand in the reality of my God-given identity (Terkeurst, 2011).

While I know in my head that God's love for me and His approval of me is not based on what I do or do not do, many times it is difficult for my heart to grasp the truth. There are so many times that I believe the lie that I have to perform for God's approval, and so I do or do not do things in order to be loved rather than doing things because I am loved. This performance mentality relates to my food struggles as well. Whenever I eat healthy and exercise self-control, I feel like a "good Christian," but when I lose self-control and binge, I feel like a "bad Christian."

After Jesus was baptized, God said, "This is my Son, in whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). When God said this, Jesus had not yet begun His ministry. He had not led the disciples, performed miracles, or died on the cross. God affirmed Jesus' identity before Jesus began His public ministry.

When I became a Christian, I was given a new identity: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new identity is not based on who I am or what I have done; it is dependent on who Christ is and what He has already done through His death on the cross. So often, I forget that my worth and significane are found in Christ alone and I try to fill my life with activities to prove my worth and significance in oder to earn love and approval from other people as well as from God. I am God's daughter, whom He loves; with me He is well pleased. He loves me and is pleased with me because of who I am in Christ, not because of what I do.

After God affirmed Jesus' identity, Jesus was tempted in the desert, and one of those temptations was with food. Because Jesus was filled with God's truth and knew His identity, He did resisted temptation. When I rest assured in my identity and worth in Christ and when I fill myself with Him, I do not need to crave the acceptance and approval of others and I do not need to fill myself with physical pleasure (such as food). Because in God I am loved, accepted, and whole. God loves me and is well-pleased with me no matter what I do, and this truth should be the motivation for all that I do: to live for Him because I am loved rather than to earn His love.