No More Beggars and Slaves

We spend much of our lives discovering who we are – what we like, what we can do and how others see us. From early on, our identity gets crafted by what we are told about ourselves and what we tell ourselves about our abilities and character. Our on-going internal dialogue results in deep rooted views of self. Scholars have long held a nature versus nurture debate on whether our pedigree or life experiences most influence our personality and behaviors. We could all likely look back to see how both family and what we have been through has contributed to our view of the world. Yet, when we become a Christian, our identity, the fact of being who or what a person or thing is, was changed. Regeneration (a change in our spirit) lead to an awakening of a new reality in our design, a new identity, and a marvelous opportunity to embrace the way our Father God sees us and made us to be. He saw us when we were 'yet in our mother's womb' and proclaimed us fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-14) from the beginning of our existence, yet somehow, we struggle with seeing ourselves with His eyes. We tend to continue relating to life through our natural eyes, eyes trained on what we have always seen, focused on our past and failures, instead of putting on lenses that reveal and embrace our new spiritual identity in Christ. While we know that our identity changed somehow when we received salvation through grace, we don't always realize how it changed. Scripture holds the answer, but truth must be sought out and revealed to us by the Spirit. If we don't seek a new view, our vision of self remains limited and shaded, pulling the color and clarity out of who God created us to be.