"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12 (NIV)

For so many years, I had the ability to move from success to disappointment in a heartbeat. Just when I thought I had it all together, something happened. I'd forget an appointment. Snap at one of my children. Or procrastinate on a project until I was stressed out and mad.

I'd built my identity on the shaky foundation of my circumstances and abilities. As soon as the delicate balance was tipped with a mistake, misstep or mishap, I kicked it in to overdrive to try and compensate. But all that frenetic activity never made a lasting difference.

My roller coaster identity took me on a wild ride for years, but not the fun theme park kind. It all changed when I read about the difference between being and doing. These two things are opposite, but somehow, I had connected them.

Why do so many of us draw a straight line from our actions to our identity? Why are we so quick to connect dots that aren't there, slap a label on ourselves and believe it to be true? We stumble and call ourselves clumsy. We forget to pay a bill and call ourselves stupid. Our home is cluttered, and we call ourselves pathetic.

Those aren't lines God draws. Only Satan, the enemy of this world, draws a line from our work to our worth. Only the enemy wants us to find our identity in what we do, because he knows when the lights dim and the "success" is gone, so is our value.

God, however, has another identity for us, one that's unchanging and independent of our actions. It's as His chosen and beloved child. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

When I first learned this truth about my identity, it took a long time to accept. Each time I caught my belittling self-talk, I had to make a choice about what to believe. I had to choose to take God at His Word, and believe in His love. This took my faith from academic head knowledge to real-life heart belief.

If I have any doubt that God's approval is conditioned on my perfect behavior, Romans 5:6-8 tells me the truth: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (NIV).

God's acceptance of us, and hence our identity, is NOT defined by our actions. So we will never be a "failure" when our performance doesn't match our expectations. When we reassign the source of our value and worth to its rightful place, we will be free from the fear of failure or the opinions of others. We will be free from the labels we place on ourselves. And free from the shifting sands of our self-worth.

The only thing that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks about us. And that is unchanging. We can rest knowing we are safe and secure in God's unconditional love.

And once we really believe this truth, our identity will be unshakable.

Heavenly Father, thank You for embracing me as Your beloved daughter. Knowing You will never turn away from me, nor forsake me, fills my heart with joy. I want to love You and serve You more each day, free from the lies that hold back my potential in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Colossians 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (NIV)

John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

If your overwhelming circumstances have you feeling like a failure, you'll appreciate Glynnis Whitwer's newest book, Taming the To-Do List. It's filled with encouragement to help you learn the truth about your worth, identify your priorities and develop simple strategies to live that out every day.

Join Glynnis on her blog today for a special announcement about her FREE Do It Now! Challenge and a giveaway of her book, Taming the To-Do List.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

What labels have you put on yourself that you would never put on someone else?

How would your life change if God's thoughts about you were enough? How would you approach your relationships, work and ministry differently?

© 2015 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.