I Just Want To Be Me

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I love listening to the conversations between my children.  I learn so much about how they perceive themselves in the world and often I am able to gather awesome sprigs of truth planted by our Father.  

Recently I overheard my oldest daughter asking the youngest about what she wanted to be when she grew up.  I paused what I was doing, listened closely and waited for her to say, a doctor or a nurse, or some other profession. But without hesitation she said, I just want to be Mia.

She didn’t say, a ballerina, though she loves to dance around the house; she didn’t say a cook, though she loves to help me prep in the kitchen; she said she wanted to be herself.  

How much she taught me in that moment!

For as long as I can remember I have defined myself by my activities— and worse, because I didn’t intentionally separate my identity from what I did, I subconsciously judged my worth based on my performance.  When I fell short in any area, my self-evaluation changed.  If I had a bad day and yelled at my kids, I was a horrible mom… but not just a horrible mom-- I was a horrible person who was failing at life.

I had conditioned myself to allow who I was to be eclipsed by the shadow of my activities.  

Through my daughter’s innocent words, I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking into my life, imploring me to understand that our identity in Christ is not transient; it is static.  

Who we are in Christ doesn’t change with the direction of the blowing wind-- and that, my friends, is liberating.

It is freeing to know that when we identify fully in Him, He will quiet any feelings of failure and He will free us to focus on being who He has created us to be.  While we are imperfect and are bound to fail, if we allow Him to be God of our thoughts and God of our activities, His grace will be sufficient, and our families will see His perfection shine through the “cracks” of our lives.  His power is made perfect in our weaknesses and failures.  

Today, maybe you aren’t having a great day; maybe you forgot to send a snack to school with your little one, or maybe you were irritable with your husband when he told you that he didn’t want chicken for dinner again; but it is ok.  You may not be the “perfect” mom or wife today, but as you begin to focus on who you are in Christ, allowing Him to govern your thoughts, and be Lord of your activities, it will be evident by those you love most in your everyday life.

Today, ask God to remind you of who you are in Him.  And then say the words— “I am a child of the King and I am perfect in Christ because He lives in me and I am His.”


Word of the Day
“It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.” Hebrews 10:14

Prayer
Father, I thank you for your love which transcends all understanding.  Please forgive me that often I get so caught up in my “doings” that I forget that your love is unconditional.  Today I ask that you remind me to bask in your love and allow your Spirit to lead my thoughts and my actions, so that my family may see your love through me, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Author:  Kandice Adams

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