ICS Daily Devotions
Walk in Your New Identity
Colossians 3:12-14 (NKJV) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
All of us have the responsibility to deal with themselves in order to uphold relationships in our family and our church community. Because we are the living stones that make up the temple of God, how each of us carries ourselves will affect the body of Christ and the members of the family.
By holding onto our “old man” or old identity, the emotional baggage that we carry will lead us to make rash decisions, stop us from humbling ourselves and restart from scratch if necessary, and be frustrated when we don’t get what we want. Still wanting to hold onto our old positions or achievements as our identity, we will react negatively to the people around us including our loved ones. Someone whose ego has been hurt will tend to be unkind, impatient, intolerant, aggressive and bitter because they demand respect and entitlement.
Sometimes we will come across rude and demanding people at hotel receptions or restaurants, whose egos and sense of entitlement have been inflated by their achievements. They are likely to carry these attitudes and behaviour into their home, where they may also be condescending, impatient, intolerant, and aggressive towards their spouse. The situation will be exacerbated if their ego is hurt once they have lost their positions in the companies. Likewise, if we don’t renew our mind to have our identity in Christ, we will also be prone to become bitter, angry and carry an attitude towards people, especially when we feel insecure and rejected, suffering from a prolonged identity crisis, and feeling unsettled in our hearts.
However, it will be very different when we have our identity in Christ because we esteem how God looks at us. We are at rest when we know that we are accepted in the Beloved, and have peace with God whom we hold in high esteem. There is no longer anything to prove because we have broken away from our old identity where we have had to strive for the praises and approval of men, and there is no room for us to be offended, disappointed or jealous because we are secure in Christ. We will maintain Agape love, extend grace, and show patience to those around us. The family and the church will be blessed when we live in peace and harmony with family members and the body of Christ.
Sermon Series: He Came to Give You a New Identity
