Embracing His Identity For Us

By Danielle Brentlinger

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.” 
“Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
Is. 43:1, 7

Who am I?  Woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister… Child of God.  Whoa, wait a minute!  Child of God?  How can that be?  I am so flawed, so sinful, so inadequate, so broken…

Identity is a big deal in our societies today.  People are struggling to determine if they are men, women, non-binary, among a growing list of many other things.  This world tries to put us into categories of man’s making, categories that are ever growing and changing.  How are we to know who we are?  How are we to commit to a “true” identity?

Genesis 1:26-28 tells us that God made man and woman in His Image.  Isaiah 43:1 says that He formed us and called us by name, making us His.  Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.”  First John 3: 1-3 expresses how He loves us so lavishly that we are called “children of God.”  He has given us our identity.

Just like our parents give us our formal names when we are born, God gives us His name when we are “born of the Spirit.”  In Romans 8, Paul explains to us our sonship in the Spirit.  He tells us, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:14-15).

Back to our beginning question, how can that be when I am so…less than worthy?  The Japanese have a unique way of viewing beauty called Wabi Sabi.  Developed out of the aesthetic philosophy of cha-no-yu (the tea ceremony) in fifteenth-century Japan, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic that finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

God does not require us to be perfect.  In fact, He perfects us!  It is a part of His identity for us, to be fully redeemed in His Son.  We can come to Him in all our flaws and brokenness.  He turns our view of beauty and worthiness into His view.  We can think of it in terms of another Japanese concept, Kintsugi.  Kintsugi transforms broken pieces into a new object; the mended cracks become part of its unique history and enhance its beauty.   This is exactly what God does for us.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

God is at work in us, but we still have to commit to change.  He truly is the Potter, and we must be the clay.  For us to be good clay, we must be willing to let Him transform us.

Change is hard.  It doesn’t matter how old or young you are.  We get comfortable.  We feel safe in knowing our ways.  In order to commit to the identity that God has prepared for us, we have to get out of our comfort zones.  We must allow the Spirit to change us from the inside out.

There is a song sung by The Zoe Group called From the Inside Out.  It lays out this idea of change, of becoming vessels of honor:

A thousand times I've failed 
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing You praise
Everlasting,Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
My heart and my soul
I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Part of this internal change may involve some healing.  Remember those Japanese concepts of beauty?  I often think of my life as a mosaic, being created by the greatest Artist ever.  Mosaics are created from broken and damaged pieces.  The Artist knows just the right place for each piece.  And, the end result is beautiful!  As children of the Most High, our identities are created just for us, by the Master Artist.  He takes everything we bring and transforms us from the inside out into His precious children.  We become “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation… God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). 

Romans 7:14- 8:39 is a wonderful passage to meditate on when it comes to the change of our identity. Satan, as ruler of the worldly view, tells us we are meaningless, useless, hopeless, unwanted, in despair, and destined to die alone. Christ tells us otherwise.  He says we are meaningful, useful, hopeful, wanted, and able to have eternal life and peace when we die.

God loves us so much that He calls us by name.  Imagine that.  Not only did He create you in your mother’s womb, but He knows you by name.  Scripture tells us He even knows the number of hairs on your head!  We are clearly valuable to Him.

So, who are you?  Wife, mother, daughter, sister… Child of God!