Identity

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Understanding our identity is so important. Our identity informs our moral, ethical, and legal compass. It shows where we place our value and principles.

Let’s see what labels we put on ourselves or allow others to put on us.

Can you relate to any of these?

 

 

• I am insecure.

 • I am a screamer.

 • I internalize everything.

 • I am a worrier.

 • I am a bickerer.

 • I am always late.

 • I always mess things up.

 • I am messy.

 • Things will never get better.

 • I’ll never lose weight.

 • I’m a loser.

 

Many labels come from our personality traits.

 

Do your personality weaknesses become your labels?

 

Sanguine

• Compulsive talker 
• Exaggerator
• Egotistical 
• Loud
• Forgetful
• Undisciplined
• Fickle

 Choleric

• Bossy
• Quick-tempered
• Impatient
• Inflexible
• Unsympathetic
• Manipulative
• Demanding
• Argumentative

 Melancho

• Moody
• Insecure 
• Martyr  
• Critical 
• Unforgiving 
• Hard to please 
• Withdrawn 
• Remembers the negatives

 Phlegmatic

 

• Unenthusiastic
• Indecisive 
• Self-righteous
• Un-motivated 
• Indifferent
• Sarcastic 
• Lazy 
• Selfish

 Labels that come from our life situations can either make us victims or victorious. Do you have any of these labels?

 

• Widow
• Divorcee 
• Single mom 
• Adopted 
• Neglected as a child 
• Sick 
• Abusive background 
• Unemployed 
• Fired 
• Childless 

We often make excuses for our labels. Have you ever made these statements?

 

• This is just part of my personality.
• This is the way I was made.
• I can’t change the past. 
• What will be will be. 
• God made me this way.
• This behavior has been in my family for generations. 
• I just have that “gene.” 
• I can’t change now.

Labels are very much a part of your personal identity. Your personal identity is the way that you see yourself. It is very important to you because it will affect the way you feel about yourself and how you behave in challenging situations. Your personal identity includes:

 

• Who are you?

 • What makes you unique?

 • What is your God-given purpose?

 • What do you value?

 • What drives your moral compass?

 • What is your physical identity (what you think you look like to others

 • What is your internal identity (who you think you are in terms of your personality and character, values, etc.)

 • How do you see yourself in relation to others?

• How do you identify yourself?

 • What are the labels you use to describe yourself?

 • What are you personal goals?

 

 Your own identity is much the way others see you.

 

• Do others see you imprisoned by your labels?

 • Do they see you as God sees you or as you see yourself?

 • Do others see labels that you do not even recognize?

 • Are you blind to the labels others put on you?

 

Before you can make positive changes in your life, you need to devote time understanding your personal identity. Then you will better able to move closer to where you want to be.

 

Are you stuck – imprisoned – by your label? If you are stuck in your labels, you are limiting what God can do in and through you.

 

To become a victor instead of victim of your labels, find your identity in Christ. Consider yourself first a Child of the King. If you don’t like yourself, if you live in negative labels, how can you ever reach your God-given potential in life?

 

 2 essential questions guide our identity

 • Who do you say you are?

 

• Who does God say you are?

  

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he crated them.” Genesis 1:27

 

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

 

 “For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for use to do.” Ephesians 2:1

 

 Decide which labels are appropriate for you and which ones need to go. Let’s focus on ourselves as God’s workmanship and the good works we can do for him.