Daily devotional, May 26, 2024 Valid ID

“We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

In this digital age, having a valid ID is more important than ever. If before it was needed for driving, travel, official and financial transactions, and gaining entry to establishments and institutions, nowadays it is a must for digital transactions. A valid ID is now required to have a mobile phone account, access to electronic payments, and sometimes even social media accounts.

And because of this, identities are now being stolen. Databases are also being hacked to gain more information about a person or a group of individuals. It is a different thing though when you lose the identity you believe you have. Yes, the “you” that you see when you look in front of the mirror. The “you” that you believe others see when they look at you or hear about you. The “you” that you painstakingly projected in your social media feed.

Most of us identify ourselves based on what we have achieved, or what our role is in the society. Some strongly identify as a wife, a mother, a manager, an alumni, a member of this certain prime organization, a leader of a certain group, an officer of this and that, or a lead volunteer somewhere. And while all these may be true, if any of these roles and identities of ours supersedes our relationship with God, then losing that identity could push us towards depression.

When we suddenly lose the self-image we have long carried, we tend to crumble. When we suddenly find ourselves abandoned by our spouse, widowed, unneeded by our children, neglected by our friends, bypassed in our office, losing our job, or no longer enjoying the support of our colleagues we feel like we have lost our purpose.

Since we put all our effort into building such an identity, we cannot bear losing it. And it will be a never-ending cycle of sadness, grief, and regrets until we get to acknowledge that our real identity is in Christ Jesus.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” 
1 John 3:1

When we know that we are a child of God, we will realize that we are loved, and we have someone who will guide us, help us endure, and rejoice in our growth and happiness. When we acknowledge God as our Heavenly Father, we will never feel insecure because nothing can separate us from Him.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

When we anchor our self-image in how our Lord Jesus Christ sees us we will no longer care how others see us. And this is not the bad kind of “not caring” because following Christ will never lead us to the wrong path. And when we focus our lives on Jesus, this means we will not feel left out even if we do not get updated with what everyone else is posting about their lives in social media. Likewise, we will no longer be preoccupied in curating for others the life we think we are living. We will be more authentic not just with others, but more so with ourselves.

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” 
Zephaniah 3:17

And since nothing in this world is permanent except God’s abiding presence, in Him we will be able to endure hardships that come with losses, betrayals, and developments that we have no control over.

When we know that our priority is the Lord and abiding in Him, our joy will be in Him. It will not be dependent on someone else’s love, affection, or our status in the workplace or society or the title and honor that we possess. We will have that peace and joy in our heart that can transcend difficult circumstances that are inevitable in our life journey.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." 
Romans 15:13

In the end, the key is to seek God, and make Him your number one priority. And when you love Him with all your heart, mind, and strength, you will be more capable to love others just as He commanded.  

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." 
Psalm 27:4

Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 8:31-39 to dig deeper on today’s topic.

Reflection Question:  Where do you anchor your identity?

Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for adopting me into your family through Christ Jesus. Give me the confidence to fully identify myself with how you see me, as I dedicate my life to you. Amen.