“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” 1 Peter 2:9
The bills were piled high. Late one night he decided to pay off each account and be done with procrastination. With the last check written, my nephew tossed everything but the stamped envelopes in the trash. What a sigh of relief to pay off debt.
Within weeks notices popped up that his credit cards were maxed out and his bank account depleted. And within hours, his life spiraled into a crazy mess – the latest statistic of “identity theft.” A simple trip to the store resulted in explanations and questionable looks. Re-writing checks to friends and businesses humbled him, but when his identity and character descended into the questionable category, a lifetime of well doing eroded in front of his eyes. Nerves and vertigo hit. Days and nights jumbled together until his identity cleared through the proper channels.
Spiritually speaking, many of us have succumbed to identity theft. God declares us as his people with significant titles. Yet the enemy of our souls, whose chief aim is to steal, kill, and destroy, robs titles the Almighty has bestowed on us for a lifetime.
Often Satan whispers to us in moments of weakness. We hear the quiet echoes “Loser, Hypocrite, Religious Freak, Glutton….” His voice sounds like ours, not throaty or frightening. In fact it’s believable if we listen long enough. If we allow previews of past failures to re-play in our minds long enough, a hot mess ensues. No longer sure of whose we are, we act out of an old nature – like being teleported to the dangerous land our feet once tread. And the demons cheer as we blunder in our mistaken titles.
Perhaps a song, sermon, or a gentle soul wakes us up. God gave us every title and tool necessary to pull us out of darkness and smack an identity on us that rocks the world and shakes off the devil. Our sin debts were cleared to set us free, that we may walk in freedom and in truth.
“I am what I am by the grace of God,” declared the Apostle Paul. So are you and I. Let’s walk in our truest selves!