Today, we are going to talk about separating who you are from the things you do.
In our culture, we are quick to take on the label of our actions as our identity.
- You tend to leave a trail of crumbs around your plate after every meal? You’re a messy eater!
- You like to paint? You’re a painter!
- Lost a couple of soccer games in a row? You’re a loser.
Not all of those labels are bad by any means but it becomes problematic when we take them on as our core identity.
Your core identity is what we talked about yesterday – the things the Bible says to be true of you as a child of God.
Your core identity cannot be changed. It is true about you in every season of life, in every relationship, and in every situation. It’s what determines your worth. It is who you are and you can’t change it (which is wonderful news!).
Your career, hobbies, roles, quirks, personality traits, and patterns are your roles, activities, and behaviors…NOT who you are.
They can absolutely describe important parts of you but they can also change throughout your life based on decisions you make or transitions in your life.
I’ve been a sign language interpreter and an entrepreneur. I’ve been single and I’ve been married. I’ve been childless, pregnant, and a mom. I’ve failed in my weight loss 100 times and I’ve also succeeded in losing 100 pounds.
All of those things were true at one point in my life and, through all of those seasons of my roles and behaviors shifting and changing, my core identity stayed the same.
Your roles and behaviors don’t define you as a person, whether they are good or bad. They just recognize certain parts of things you do, interests you have, patterns of behavior, etc.
They are not the whole of who you are.
When we struggle with self-esteem, it’s because we are letting our roles and behaviors become more important in defining who we are than our core identity – who you are in Christ.
Today, I want you to think about the roles and behaviors you have that cause you to feel most insecure.
- Maybe you are insecure about words you’ve said to your kids that make you feel like a terrible mom.
- Perhaps you’ve made mistakes at work and feel like an inadequate employee.
- It could be that you’ve regained weight you’ve lost and you feel like a complete failure.
I want you to write those things down in your journal or on the “My Unshakable Identity” journaling page in your Printable Prayer Journal Bundle.
Don’t worry, that’s not the end yet!
Today is about being aware of the things we’ve allowed to define who we are but the good stuff, the next step in building your confidence in Christ, is coming tomorrow!
Tomorrow, we are going to talk about the actual steps of how to believe your core identity in Christ above all, especially when you make mistakes.
Until then,
Becky