Solutions June 2018 | Page 47

a constantly connected world, we are continually aware of the lives others are living around us. We are bombarded by a stream of images depicting leisure, travel, escape, sabbaticals, early retirement, cruises, road trips, graduations, promotions, parties, and fun. To compare the monotony of our ordinary existence with this litany of the spectacular creates a deep sense of unrest and dissatisfaction with our own lives. When we take our eyes off eternity, we are swept into a frenzied effort to keep up with others. • I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) • I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Corinthians 12:27) • I have been chosen by God and adopted as his child. (Ephesians 1:5) • I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:14) • I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:9–10) • I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:14–16) Finding Your True Identity We have been given a new identity and a new call in our union with Christ. Jesus has given us every spiritual blessing and adopted us into his family. (see Ephesians 1:3-5) We no longer need to compare ourselves to others to find a sense of well-being because our sense of worth has been settled by Jesus’s love for us. We have been given fullness in him. Yet even though I know that is true, the world I live in still seeks to persuade me that something is missing. To help refute that lie, I need to marinate in my true identity in Christ. Here is what it means to be in Christ: I Am Accepted • I am God’s child. (John 1:12) • As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. (John 15:15) • I have been justified. (Romans 5:1) • I am united with the Lord, and I am one with him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17) I Am Secure • I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1–2) • I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. (Romans 8:28) • I am free from any condemnation brought against me, and I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:31–39) • I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21–22) • I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1–4) • I am confident that God will complete the good work he star ted in me. (Philippians 1:6) Solutions • 47