By Hope Komarynsky, Dartha Lewis and Michelle Martin

A few years ago, I entered a season of uncertainty like I had never experienced before. Something had been revealed that caused me to question my worth and my purpose… my identity. The joy I had always known as a Christian was gone. Simply existing from day to day, I became disconnected from my God-designed identity. Struggling to remember Truth and why it even mattered made God’s plan for me seem a very distant memory. I felt numb, overwhelmed, and extremely inadequate. My life was filled with activities and distractions that were all seemingly “good,” but they enabled me to remain numb and not acknowledge the emptiness. I knew I was missing something deeply. I had forgotten who I was and Whose I was.

Often in times of despair, uneasiness, or disappointment, distraction is the one tool that feels mistakenly helpful. It seems to give us a sort of vacation from the chaos in our lives and restores some sense of “normalcy.”
Here are some distractions I have turned to:

  • Bingeing my favorite TV show
  • Oversleeping
  • Eating and/or drinking in excess
  • Isolating from others
  • Flooding my schedule
  • Starting a new project

Where do you go to escape? What are your favorites?

It amazes me that I can be so easily distracted and resist looking for God’s fingerprints in my everyday existence. Instead, I am unable to – or perhaps unwilling – to hear His voice. I am distracted from the very thing that fills me with joy, which is HIS presence in every area of my life. It’s so obvious when I forget to look for Him in my day-to-day existence because on those days I become insecure and inwardly focused—the feeling of numbness returns. I don’t always feel alone, but I always feel isolated…separate from what my heart craves…the Father’s presence.

When we’re alone and in an identity desert, we often find ourselves thirsty. Eventually, we remember the source of Living Water that restores our life. What my wayward heart truly desires is a restored closeness with my loving Father. I need to hear His voice. I need to absorb Truth. I need to be reminded of my God-designed identity.
Here are some of the places I go to remind myself of my identity:

  • Reading the Bible
  • Creating a list of verses that remind me of who God says I am
  • Seeking wise and trusted counsel from other believers
  • Revisiting personal journals to remember the lessons God has taught me
  • Worship music
  • Prayer
  • Rest and meditation

Looking back always helps me to recall who I am in Christ. I am reminded in those moments, I have not lost my identity as His child, but instead I have lost my trust in a Father who created me as His own. I remember that I am exactly who He designed me to be. I am where He placed me. I am living in the time He chose for me. My identity is secure in His design and as His own.

Here are some resources to help you understand who you are in Christ: My Identity in Christ; What I Know God Says; and Who I Am In Christ.