Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Become Who You Are

Lately, I've felt like I'm in the midst of a "1/3 life crisis" of sorts ... I'll dive deeper into this idea at a later point.  In the meantime, here's an excerpt from an article ("Self-Help's Missing Ingredient") I found helpful via Relevant magazine.


You are loved by God, accepted by God and put in right relationship with God. It’s not by your own doing, or because you have the right family, or because you have the right education, or because you have the right desires or attractions, or because you have the right job. It’s because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of that your life is hidden with Christ—and nothing can take you away. You belong to God. If you have placed your trust in Christ, that’s who you are.

And our call, then, is to become who we are—to live out the truth of this truest thing about us. There are many true things about you—about what you do, and have, and desire—but only one thing is the truest.

Whatever you believe is the truest will be your functioning identity. And if you are a follower of Jesus, that identity is safely secured in the God who loves you. Learning to become who you are and live out of this identity is a process.

Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life. Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”

Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?

It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.

Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.

Become who you are.
means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life.
Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”
Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?
It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.
Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.
Become who you are.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/self-help%E2%80%99s-missing-ingredient#vMeMtPpHWEOLrjvO.99

You are loved by God, accepted by God and put in right relationship with God. It’s not by your own doing, or because you have the right family, or because you have the right education, or because you have the right desires or attractions, or because you have the right job. It’s because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of that your life is hidden with Christ—and nothing can take you away. You belong to God. If you have placed your trust in Christ, that’s who you are.
And our call, then, is to become who we are—to live out the truth of this truest thing about us. There are many true things about you—about what you do, and have, and desire—but only one thing is the truest.
Whatever you believe is the truest will be your functioning identity. And if you are a follower of Jesus, that identity is safely secured in the God who loves you. Learning to become who you are and live out of this identity is a process.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life.
Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”
Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?
It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.
Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.
Become who you are.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/self-help%E2%80%99s-missing-ingredient#vMeMtPpHWEOLrjvO.99
You are loved by God, accepted by God and put in right relationship with God. It’s not by your own doing, or because you have the right family, or because you have the right education, or because you have the right desires or attractions, or because you have the right job. It’s because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of that your life is hidden with Christ—and nothing can take you away. You belong to God. If you have placed your trust in Christ, that’s who you are.
And our call, then, is to become who we are—to live out the truth of this truest thing about us. There are many true things about you—about what you do, and have, and desire—but only one thing is the truest.
Whatever you believe is the truest will be your functioning identity. And if you are a follower of Jesus, that identity is safely secured in the God who loves you. Learning to become who you are and live out of this identity is a process.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life.
Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”
Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?
It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.
Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.
Become who you are.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/self-help%E2%80%99s-missing-ingredient#vMeMtPpHWEOLrjvO.99
You are loved by God, accepted by God and put in right relationship with God. It’s not by your own doing, or because you have the right family, or because you have the right education, or because you have the right desires or attractions, or because you have the right job. It’s because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of that your life is hidden with Christ—and nothing can take you away. You belong to God. If you have placed your trust in Christ, that’s who you are.
And our call, then, is to become who we are—to live out the truth of this truest thing about us. There are many true things about you—about what you do, and have, and desire—but only one thing is the truest.
Whatever you believe is the truest will be your functioning identity. And if you are a follower of Jesus, that identity is safely secured in the God who loves you. Learning to become who you are and live out of this identity is a process.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life.
Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”
Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?
It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.
Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.
Become who you are.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/self-help%E2%80%99s-missing-ingredient#vMeMtPpHWEOLrjvO.99
You are loved by God, accepted by God and put in right relationship with God. It’s not by your own doing, or because you have the right family, or because you have the right education, or because you have the right desires or attractions, or because you have the right job. It’s because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Because of that your life is hidden with Christ—and nothing can take you away. You belong to God. If you have placed your trust in Christ, that’s who you are.
And our call, then, is to become who we are—to live out the truth of this truest thing about us. There are many true things about you—about what you do, and have, and desire—but only one thing is the truest.
Whatever you believe is the truest will be your functioning identity. And if you are a follower of Jesus, that identity is safely secured in the God who loves you. Learning to become who you are and live out of this identity is a process.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it.
Trusting in Jesus means that you do have a new identity. You already have it, and you didn’t have to earn it. It can’t be taken from you. And living out of it is the secret to living toward Jesus. Christ is your life.
Henri Nouwen has never changed my life more profoundly than when he wrote this sentence: “From the moment we claim the truth of being the Beloved, we are faced with the call to become who we are.”
Become who you are. That transformed my whole conception of identity and belonging. But the phrase also sounds tangled, troubled. What does it actually mean?
It means this: You belong to Christ. You are hidden with Christ. You are God’s beloved. That is the truest thing about you, and therefore you must become that preexisting truth if you are to avoid becoming a lie. These things are true about you—now become what is already true.
Drive this truth, this identity, so deep into your psyche, your personhood, your sense of self-worth, that this truth becomes your fountainhead, the source of your life.
Become who you are.

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/self-help%E2%80%99s-missing-ingredient#vMeMtPpHWEOLrjvO.99

1 comment:

RaChelle and Paul said...

So true and so challenging. Thank you for sharing this.