Thursday, November 13, 2008

What's Shaping Your Identity?


Today, I read this on a blog:
"Some of you see this pain as a friend – it gets you the attention you need from others, and the thought of losing that attention can be frightening. To you, losing the attention of others means being alone and that seems unbearable. Still this is another lesson you must learn – to the degree you feel alone is the degree you depend on others for your satisfaction, value, and self worth."

I know that we sometimes hold on to pain-- or anger, or hurt-- and I guess I never really thought about why, but now it seems clear.

It's an Identity issue. (Hey-- we've just been talking about those!!!)

Pain, Anger... these things help establish to us or to others WHO we are. "I am the one who was wounded-- wrongly." "I am the one who was done wrong." "I am the innocent-- and righteous-- victim." "I am the one whose gift is never recognized because of un-spiritual people are in charge at work or at my congregation." "I am the one allowed to be suspicious, bitter, angry, selfish... because someone hurt me." "I am a Christian, but I'm the body part that doesn't have to be present when the body gets together-- because the other body parts hurt me!"

How can you know when you're holding on to pain or anger and letting it become-- or at least shape-- your identity?

I know that when I hold on to anger or hurt, it comes up frequently in my conversations... if you're not as verbal as I am, then maybe you're experiencing it as the conversations or situations you rehearse mentally, over and over again. Is that happening in your life right now? Has it happened in the past?

Letting go of those hurts and that anger allows us to begin to really believe what GOD says about us, rather than what we or others say about us.

And believing what God says about us opens doors to joy, as we begin to experience Life as He intended us to!

Not to ignore what has happened to us... we must gain the tools that help us to cope and determine to forgive (sometimes daily) so that God's healing can come to us.

Even after we decide to forgive, the enemy often reminds us of the offense... and if we begin mentally rehearsing it, we're right back where we started! So... remind yourself (and the enemy) outloud that you've decided to forgive, and cast down that vain imagination.

This is one of the toughest disciplines there is. In fact, fasting food seems easy compared to disciplining our thoughts! (Another truth from the previously mentioned blog!)

But the rewards are amazing!

Imagine truly believing that you are an HEIR-- inheriting what Jesus does!!!
Imagine truly believing that you are EXPERTLY CRAFTED, of many things that PLEASE GOD!!
Imagine truly believing that you absolutely have every ounce of love He has to give-- that no matter how much good you do, no matter how badly you fail or fall, He won't love you any more than He does right now, and He won't love you any less!!!!

If you TRULY believed-- and behaved-- as if all that God says about you is REAL IN YOUR LIFE, how would your life be different?

One thing is for sure: there's more joy and more peace (wholeness-- nothing missing and nothing broken) when I let go of hurt and anger, and make room for what is TRULY my identity.

And to experience it, we only have to trade in our pain and anger... that's better than the $3k the govt is offering for trade in on cars older than 10 years!!!!!

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