“Reclaiming Your Identity”

3/16/2011

Truth:

A terrible thing happened at the Fall. We gave up our union with God, our God-born identity, and our God-given authority here on earth… for a LIE. The enemy of our souls, Satan, is charged with the most widespread crime of identity theft this world has ever known. Through Satan’s deception and man’s disobedience, sin entered the world and we have seen this loss wreak havoc in every generation since. God intends for us to get it all back! God wants us to know the truth… about who He TRULY is and who we TRULY are in Him. It’s this Truth that sets us free!

God has given us a unique identity. This identity comes from WHO WE ARE as His kids, which is given expression in WHAT WE DO. Sin has destroyed this identity, but Jesus died to reclaim it. The only way we can FULLY reclaim WHO WE ARE is when we make Jesus, God’s Son, the Lord of our lives. This relationship with Jesus is based on LOVE. It does not start with us first loving Him, but Him first loving us. He is the ONLY way back to a true communion with God, our Father and Creator. When we give our lives to Jesus, we are giving our lives BACK to our Creator. When we do this, an amazing grace is given to us in order that the Lord of our lives can shape and mold us into our true God-given selves and to live out His purposes as His kids. This grace is absolutely necessary and primary as He puts us on the process of being “MADE”. The restoration has begun.

Personal Story:

I was living in New York City when I had a miraculous event happen to me. I had an overwhelming experience with the presence of God. I met Jesus. Not the religious Jesus I heard about growing up, but the relational Jesus. I saw Him on the cross and I knew my sin put Him there. I received nothing but love and forgiveness in that moment. His LOVE changed me. My life went into a completely different direction from there as He went to work on my insides, leading to huge changes on the outside. I was being “MADE”…. God was restoring me to what He intended. I went from wounded, angry, self-absorbed, and confused party girl to a joy-filled, grateful child of God with a new capacity to love and be loved. He even made me a preacher of the gospel. WHAT!… for reals.

As great as this initial experience was, every truth revealed to me in this season would be tested. ANOTHER season was coming in my life where the biggest identity thief would challenge EVERYTHING the Lord had said to me… and done in me.

(More to come…)

Word for Today:

GET IT BACK!!!

Everything that has been stolen from your life through lies, sin, and confusion… get it back! Put your trust in the Lord. Go somewhere or talk to someone (hit me up on Facebook) who can help you get reconnected to Him AND TELL YOU THE TRUTH. Ask Him yourself, “Show me Lord who you are and help me reclaim all that has been lost in my life!”

Let Jesus take hold of you and don’t look back. It’s time!

Kim Winston Bigler

FREEtheINSIDE Ministries

(this entry is dedicated to the “Relentless” youth at Hope Chapel)