I meet so many people who struggle with their identity based on their past choices. They want to believe that they're different; that they've matured, but the way they view themselves actually causes them to keep making the same mistakes. In Jesus, we are a new creation, old things have passed away all things have become new. To embrace this new creation reality I have to change the way I think. The greek word for repentance is the word metanoia; it means to think on a higher level. When I change the way I think about myself it begins to change my behavior. Einstein said "the significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." We can't solve our identity issues by thinking the way we used to think. Our thinking needs to be influenced by our new creation reality. Here are some thoughts that might help you change the way you look at yourself...
a.) God is a good father
He loves you right where you are at. He loves you if you pursue him and he loves you if you never have plans to pursue him. Your behavior doesn't affect his love you.
b.) The Father love isn't trumped by our failures.
Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. He didn't love us because we were qualified for it. He loved us in our old identity and receiving that love is the key to walking in your new identity. His love changes your history.
c.) Receiving His love will change you.
This is the key. It's easy to know about God's love but actually receiving can be a different story. Sometimes we don't feel worthy of the love because of what we've done. (See above thought) Viewing ourselves through our mistakes makes us feel like we have to earn God's love. We feel a need to be punished because we don't believe that his love is really strong enough to overcome what we have done. Love covers our sin. Love restores the standard of identity in our lives. Allowing him to love you will change the way you see yourself. Don't try to measure up; you won't. Don't give up because you don't feel you measure up, that will only lead you to do the things that caused you to feel unworthy in the first place. He loves you, and the only condition placed on that love is your willingness to receive it.
Seeing yourself through the lens of his love will show you what it's like to be seated with him in heavenly places...
and that the View From Here.
