Knowing Who We Are

“And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open all doors: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is a yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.” -Matthew 16:15-19 MSG

You might think that a woman who has been involved in ministry work for well over a decade, loves walking with others through brokenness, has co-founded 2 faith-based non-profits and has lived over a half-century would be pretty certain about who she is. News flash…I have not been, and frankly still have moments I wrestle with identity amnesia. Looking back on all these Christian endeavors, I can see now what I could not see then. I was subconsciously trying hard to be more Christ-like. In doing this, I wore myself out striving to be something that I thought I should be. Such efforts often lead to internal conflict and the identity we find ourselves owning is one of Christian Imposter instead of Beloved Daughter. The result was a stepping away from most faith-based works for a while as I learned more about who I really was in Christ and have frankly, loved the learning. It has become the most freeing place to land and I am excited about growing even more in the reality that I am loved and seen and known…just as I am, just as Amy, regardless of what I do. Obviously, I was not able to stay away from faith-based work for too long. It took a minute, but I learned that I am wired for His work and is what I LOVE to do, so I am stepping back in and eager to see where Papa leads. Thanks for joining the ride. Will I see you tomorrow as I talk a bit more about this journey of identity in Christ? Let me know in the comments. I know I am not alone when it comes to grasping the importance of knowing our identity in Christ, yet struggling with identities that vie for our attention. In the meantime, read through the above scripture a few times. Tune in and see what the Holy Trinity wants to reveal to YOU as you read and lean further into your own revelation of who you are and what or who has defined you up to this point in time. Hop on tomorrow at 11:00am CST, beverage of choice in hand, and a heart to hear. Share this with a friend that might need to hang out too and I will “see” you soon.