Identity

Identity
by Pete Berardi

While living at the San Diego Rescue Mission we, as members, were visited by many different types of churches. One visit will always stay in my mind. The Lord used this church to heighten and strengthen my faith in him. The church’s choir was made up of three young girls. I will never forget the song they sang, perhaps you know it. The lyrics are:

If anybody asks me who I am, who I am, who I am. If anybody asks me who I am, I’ll tell ‘em I’m a child of God.

Not many songs stay with me as long and as prominent as this song. This world has produced many a great men which have published many a great book on the subject of self esteem. I remember dealing with this issue several times in my life before becoming a Christian. Doubts of our identity come as teenagers as well as adults. We struggle with wondering who we are and what our self worth is. When I came to God, accepted Jesus into my life and proclaimed him to be my Lord and Saviour, I never had that struggle again. There are many verses in the Bible that are the reason why however I will mention three. The first I would like to make note of is:

I Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

So much of our struggles with self esteem seem to be rooted in control and power. We suffer from low self esteem often when we feel powerless and lack control. I am owned by God. He paid for me with his Son Jesus. His life is mine. This releases all pressure and gives me great freedom. Some may consider this to be a sign of weakness. However I will say that it is not easy to give your life to God. Also consider this verse:

Acts 17:28
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we also are his offspring.

God is my everything, and I am his child. I do not need to please anyone but him. I live for him. While I am in him, I can forget about myself. I learned that when I take the focus off of myself, I do not worry too much about how “worthless” I am.

Col 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

There is nothing that I need to prove to anyone. There is nothing wrong with me. God has made me exactly the way he wants me. This verse makes me want to seek his will even more because God knows which the best path for my life is.

I am a child of God, that is my identity.