Phillip Watkins

Walking Out Your Identity in Christ Phillip Watkins

Have you ever listened to what comes out of your mouth when someone asks you to describe yourself? The first thing you say in those situations can speak volumes about who you think you are. How we choose to identify ourselves most often can reveal our priorities in life. Since life is constantly changing, it only makes sense that priorities-and by extension some of our identities-will change along with it. But beyond these superficial identities, there lies an identity that affects everything about us. This identity impacts all our decisions and affects how we view ourselves and other people. This is the identity that we need to get right in our life. Unfortunately, many people struggle to get this one right, which leads to confusion, heartache, and strife with ourselves and others. Wrong identities can destroy us. In my own life I had developed an identity of self-sufficiency and pride that led me to believe that I had to have it all together. I thought if I didn't have it all figured out, I would be letting God, family and friends down, and I would be a failure! When you lose yourself in such a way, it can be a painful process to put yourself together again. In my journey, I discovered that I had completely forgotten about one important thing: who I was in Christ. I needed to find out what my Christ-given identity truly was. My search for healing involved finding the Scriptures that talked about who we are in Christ and what we have through Christ. As I studied these scriptures I began to see them as promises rather than a set of rules. I saw that God was promising me a new identity. It was a promise that I could mature in Christ and change! Really knowing who we are in Christ is a matter of making the day-to-day decisions that we all face, applying the Word to our lives, and following the Spirit's guidance. There is no secret formula we can apply to magically make us like Jesus. My hope is that we will be able to grow in spiritual maturity and confidence. It is a never-ending journey, but it is an exciting one and I am thrilled to take it with you.