identity

You can’t take that away from me.

There is a lyric from the old George Gershwin love song, “You Can’t Take That Away From Me” (circa 1937) that says “the way your change my life, no, no they can’t take that away from me.” The title of the song, coupled with that phrase, convey an encouraging spiritual truth. Love relationships are packed with power to change our lives. Just ask anyone who has walked down the aisle. And love, truly unconditional love, is transformative at a level that goes deeper than simply changing externals. That kind of love has the potential to establish our very identity and define who we are at the core of our being.

God’s love, expressed through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, is the quintessential, gold standard of transforming love. He chose us while we were yet sinners and separated from Him and wooed us as a spiritual bride for His Son that we might become members of His eternal family. His love gives us a new identity as His sons and daughters, something no one or no thing can ever take away from us. That is the truth in which Paul is reveling in the verses of Romans 8:38-39. No matter what fortune, fate or foe may confront us, it will not “be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When we realize that our identity is based on the high value God places upon us, independent from our accomplishments or lack thereof, and anyone else’s view of us, it is a game changer. God’s love literally changes the DNA of our lives. We take our place in a royal genealogy and thereby become heirs of an incorruptible inheritance. That gives us confidence in the face of fear and becomes an anchor for our soul in times of trouble.

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The secret to getting up again

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. (Proverbs 24:16 NLT)

Two winters ago I was on a jog through our neighborhood after a light dusting of snow. Just one block from home I slipped on a hidden patch of ice and went sprawling forward onto the sidewalk. It was a jarring experience and after confirming nothing was broken I picked myself up and gingerly walked the rest of the way home. That fall caused me to change my winter running habits. I made a decision then and there to limit my running to indoors on a treadmill unless the footing outside was clearly ice free.

Falls are scary because of the potential harm they can wreck in a person’s life. As true as that is for physical stumbles, it is often even more impacting with spiritual ones. For one thing spiritual falls are more common. And the nature of spiritual falls frequently hinders people from getting back up and running again.

There are many causes for spiritual stumbles. Sin of course tops the list. But things like relationship conflicts, worldly distractions, disappointments and a failure to maintain spiritual disciplines all contribute to causing slips and trips spiritually. Spiritual stumbles lead to discouragement, condemnation and ultimately feeling estranged from God. All that contributes to a sense of unworthiness which is probably the biggest factor hindering a person from recovering from a stumble.

Overcoming all that can be a challenge. But there is a secret to getting back up again. And it has to do with understanding what it means to have our spiritual identity “in Christ.” Spiritual falls, much more frequently than physical falls, cause us to have spiritual amnesia. It is as if every time we take a spiritual tumble we hit our head, and as a result forget who we are.

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