Who do you think you are?

Let's look back to what God said about Jesus and His identity. The very first thing we read that God claims over Jesus was written about in the books of Luke, Matthew and Mark. "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased!" Now THAT is an identity! I would love for God to say that about me. Wouldn't you? Guess what? He does!

Let's take a step back and examine this comment. First off, God made this proclamation over Jesus before Jesus did anything. This was at the beginning of His ministry - not the end! There hadn't been any miracles, not healings, no explosion of loaves and fishes, no sacrifice of His life on the cross. Then what was God so pleased about?

Do you know why God said that about Jesus? For the simple fact that Jesus is God's son. That sonship was already established. Jesus didn't have to earn it. It is who He is - a beloved son, who pleased His dad simply because He was His.

When we grasp that understanding, we too, can operate from a posture acceptance. In that, there is no more striving. We are accepted! God includes you! God approves of you! I am not talking about your sin. I am talking about you. You are God's beloved, in whom He is well pleased.

Say it out loud. I am God's beloved, in whom He is well pleased! If you can, write it down. Say it again and again! That is a huge part of your identity. I am God's beloved, in whom He is well pleased! WOW!

Let's add some real-life application to what this identity looks like. Being solidified in what God says about you for the simple fact that you are His free's you. As you align to the truth and come into agreement with it, you will realize you are free from any performance tied to your acceptance. Cut that tie and kick performance aside. It does not pertain to who you are and who God sees you as.

Did your family expect you to be a high performer, or there would be some level of rejection? Did they expect you to fall in line with their academic goals for you only to be "disappointed" in you if or when you fell short of their expectations?

I am certainly not saying you shouldn't be goal oriented or have expectations of your ability. I am saying that your true identity does not have any bearing on your performance. You do not have to perform in order for God to accept you and claim you as His own.

When you realize you are His, period, then you can begin to operate from a place of identity, and you are not performing for identity. That is living unencumbered.

I never felt accepted growing up. There were people in my life who didn't really hold out much hope for me to have a bright future. I was told regularly how dumb I was. When I would express an interest or idea I was told, who do you think you are. This was ingrained in me.

I began a real estate appraisal firm with my business partner. We were doing very, very well - better than I had every dared imagine. About 300 times a year for several years I would have the same dream. I would be walking through a house and these terrible looking entities, sometimes they would resemble the people who had spoken these lies to me about my future, other times they would look like you would expect a demon to look like. These things would jump about in front of me and yell right in my face, "who do you think you are?"

I would cover my ears, close my eyes as tightly as I could and fall to the floor, hoping these things would go away and leave me alone. With my heart still beating loudly in my covered ears, after a moment, I would feel brave enough and open one eye, look around and make sure it was safe to try to get to wherever I was trying to get to in this house. Sometimes I would proceed forward, sometimes I would turn around, hoping to make it to safety before verbally attacked once again.

Sure enough, just a few steps into my journey and one or more of these things were right up in my face yelling, "who do you think you are?" And I would sit straight up from the nightmare, gasping for air and with my heart pounding.

I had this dream over the course of about 6 or 7 years, so it is safe to say I had it thousands of times. One night, just like all of the others, I dreamed I was walking through this same house, hopeful, like all of the other times that I would get to my destination. I took a few steps over a small bridge and just as I was getting to the end of the bridge this grotesque looking thing just right in front of me, yelling at me, " who do you think you are?" I took my usual stance of plugging my ears, closing my eyes tightly and falling to the floor in hopes it would stop tormenting me.

As usual, I waited, opened my one eye cautiously, looked around and when I felt I could muster up enough courage, I stood, tuned around to go about my way and that same thing was right in my face. Screaming, in an evil, mean voice, "who do you think you are?"

This time though for some reason, I didn't duck and cover. I yelled back, "I am child of God!"

Do you know what happened? That thing disappeared! I stood in my identity - my true identity - and that thing had to flee. I never had that dream again!! After having had it 1000's of times - never again.

So be encouraged! When we draw that line in the sand and say, no more! I will not align with the lies - I do not care who spoke them over me - I stand in the boldness of the truth and come into agreement with who God says I am, the enemy has to leave!

That is why it is so important that you know what the word of God says about you. That is a beat of Jesus' heart. Standing in the truth of the word. When the enemy comes to you and says, you have no future. Remember what the word says, For I know the plans I have for you, Jeremiah 29:11 tells us and declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Just as with anything, you have to implement it! We can read every diet blog, watch every video, listen to every podcast about health and fitness but until we implement it, it has no effect on our wellbeing. It is the same with pressing into the truth of the Bible and most importantly, believing that those words, promises and proclamations are FOR YOU!!

Put your foot down, like I did in that dream, combat the enemy's lies confidently with the word of God! Refuse to doubt your identity! Know who you are in Christ. Open your mouth! Declare who God says you are! Say it again and again, if you have to, until it is ingrained in you. Just like you can't have just one healthy meal or one good work out and expect it to change your health or fitness level. You have to create this truth as your lifestyle. Believe it and state it as readily and with as much confidence and conviction as you say your name!

Remember: You are the beloved child of God, in whom He is well pleased!

Go about your day, unencumbered!