Hello, I am __________ !

Who are you?  Can you confidently answer that question?  

They say: “Anything worth having, is worth fighting for.”  Of course, this can apply to many areas of our lives.  But, if there is anything worth fighting or contending for, it has to be my own identity!  So… who am I?

I think you would enjoy reading through some of my discoveries in my personal journey of ‘finding Me’ in; Finding the Treasure called You and How’s Your Heart? and In Search of the Real Me.  

In our quest to find and walk in our true identity, we realize that most ‘voices’ around us do not feed us the whole truth, so it’s a constant battle to corral our mind and dispossess it of ‘stinking thinking’.  Paul the apostle, describes this battleground like this:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, – II Cor 10:4-5

In the past, the devil has had us focus on the ‘cardinal’ sins; murder, adultery, etc.  Actually, these are worthy considerations, but there are issues and influences which are more subtle, yet even more detrimental to our futures.  And those things can creep up on us and take one ‘nibble’ at a time until a serious compromise has occurred.  

The saying is: “You are what you eat”.  Therefore, it’s vital that we ‘eat the right diet’ if we’re going to have the mind of Christ (I Cor 2:16).  Ultimately, He is the only One who can define me and give me my identity.

Here are just a few ways that I purposefully push myself in pursuit of identifying and cultivating my identity…

~ marinate in what the Word of God says regarding my true identity
~ have frequent God encounters where He speaks value & identity to me
~ listen to my personal playlist of special heart songs that tenderize my heart
~ don’t listen to ’empty’ music or talk radio
~ subscribe to select videos, blogs and podcasts
~ glean from others who currently experience God in fresh ways
~ surround myself with as many of my ‘on-ramps‘ as possible
~ share my ‘on-ramp’ stories as often as I can
~ share about my true identity as often as possible
~ this kind of sharing often yields another God-encounter
~ pursue those who will remind me of my true identity
~ associate with those who inspire the real me
~ strive to live from my heart more than my head
~ don’t allow negative thoughts to lead me… or determine my decisions
~ commit to do something that I’ve never done, each time I’m ‘front and center’

Most of these points are basic wisdom issues… but it’s surprising how our society disregards wisdom, in favor of trend, comfort and instant gratification. 

As I become confident in my own identity and get ‘comfortable in my own skin’, this eradicates insecurity and vulnerability to the fear of man.  It frees up my heart to hear from Holy Spirit because I’m not tyrannized by fear.  I can initiate more quickly, with more boldness and with more authority of ownership in whatever is before me.  And that is an exciting and liberating way to live life! 

Knowing who you are, makes you able to confidently say, “Hello, I am _______!”

–MLH