Sunshine in the Haze

Raw confession: I fear losing my identity inside the walls of marriage.

I’m not scared of losing my identity because of my marriage itself or who I’m married to (my husband is an all-star). It’s because marriage has surfaced new weaknesses and strengths inside me.

Before saying I do, I just floated around between hobbies, schoolwork, and family affairs. I was mostly dependent on the decisions my parents made, but I can’t do that anymore.

Nowadays, I’m standing in the front row. My husband and I call all the shots. We decide when, what, where, and how on EVERYTHING.

And it’s intimidating.

If you’ve been overwhelmed lately and questioning who you are, you’re in the right place.

Introducing the Beautiful Identity of a Christian

One day, I was stressed out. In my franticness, I kept feeling like I needed to open up my Bible to Ephesians and write out my heart, but my schedule was absolutely packed.

When my husband noticed my demeanor, he pulled me aside, hugged me, and asked how he could help.

And so, I was able to open my Bible and jot down some of the verses I had highlighted months before. This is how I discovered my true identity.

Even though I read Ephesians a while before getting married, I believe God was preparing me for this very season of life. He knew that five months into marriage I would feel overwhelmed.

You see, this particular book of the Bible talks a lot about who God is and who we are in Him. This is important to me because:

• As I clean the bathroom again, I need to know that I am still chosen and holy. I need to know that I am still filled with the Holy Spirit.

• Even as I cook meal after meal, I want to know without a doubt that I’m created with a purpose for the glory of God.
• When someone asks me who I am and what drives me, I want to be able to answer confidently.

When my husband came back into the room, I shared the verses with him. Without skipping a beat, he looked down at my sloppy notebook and started proclaiming the verses over me one by one, pausing to make eye contact with each truth that left his lips.

While it took me by surprise, I’m so grateful for the steadfast identity he was determined I COMPLETELY believe. Now it’s my turn to speak these verses over you just like they were spoken over me.

If possible, read the below truths out loud and confidently take hold of them. Allow them to truly sink into your soul.

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In Christ, you are blessed. (1:3-6)
You are chosen. (1:4)
You are holy. (1:4)

In Christ, you are accepted. (1:6)
You are redeemed. (1:7)
You are the praise of His glory. (1:11-12)

In Christ, you can take hold of wisdom. (1:15-18)
You are ALIVE. (2:1)
You are loved. (2:4-7)

In Christ, you are raised up! (2:6)
You are saved. (2:8)
You are His workmanship. (2:10)

In Christ, you are created for good works, things that were predestined by God before you were born. (2:10)

In Christ, you can take hold of peace. (2:14)
You have access to the Lord your Savior. (2:18, 3:12)
You are the dwelling place of His Holy Spirit. (2:22, 3:17)

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These are just a few things that make up your identity as a man or woman who is hungry for God. When you feel overwhelmed by the mundane tasks of life, remember that the Lord is still inside of you.

Your identity is not lost in the waves of life.

Your Heavenly Father is still at work inside of you and around you.

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Whatever you are doing in life right now, even if it isn’t what your dreams are made of, remember that you have a remarkable identity in Christ your Lord.

Keep praying & hoping,
Autumn Rebecca

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