Devotional
Identity & Purpose
"Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going…’ "
John 8:14
"Almost everyone is searching for their identity, and wanting to know their purpose in life. People search all over for their identity and purpose. They look for it dating, marriage, their children, their jobs, etc., yet they always seem to come up empty. Why is this? What is our true identity and purpose? What does the Bible say about this?
Jesus testified that He knows where he came from and where he was going. In other words, He knows who He is and where He’s going. His identity is in who He is, and His purpose is in where He is going. Now, you are thinking “great, Jesus knew His identity and purpose, but I still don’t know mine. Well lets explore this a little. Who are you, and where are you going/what are you supposed to do?
Well first of all who are you not? Your identity is not in your talents, gifts, etc. Your identity is not in the fact that you are gifted athletically or a talented musician. Your identity is not in the fact that you are a prophet, a healer, or know your Bible like the back of your hand. Your identity is also not in your failures. You identity is not in the fact that you are a sinner. It is not in anything bad that you have done. It doesn’t matter how badly you have screwed up. Your identity is not in what you do or say. God does not want you to take your identity from your failures and screw ups, nor does He want you to take your identity in your talents or gifts, who you are dating or married to, how many children you have, or how popular or unpopular you are.
Outcry is the Youth Ministry at BridgeWay Church in Denver, CO www.bridgeway.us
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Well if your identity is not in all of those things, then what does God want you to take your identity in? Your identity is in Him alone! You have our Heavenly Father’s name. Ephesians 1:4-5 states that “he CHOSE us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blamless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Chrits, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he love.” You are CHOSEN by God. You are His daughter or son. You are ROYALTY!!! That is a pretty awesome identity. Better then anything you could get elsewhere!
What does it mean that your identity is in Him alone? It means that you don’t have to strive and perform for God. Your identity is already perfectly secure and it can never be taken away. Just rest in the fact that you are His kid, and He loves you and He wants to use you for His purposes. He wants to work through you because you are His child and He loves you. He doesn’t care how much junk you have, or what you have been through. He loves using imperfect and broken people because those are the ones who He can show His power through the most. God loves an underdog. Just look through the stories in the Bible. He will help walk you through healing for your brokenness and junk because He desires freedom for His children. It not because of anything you have done!
So, that is your identity, but what is your purpose? Your purpose is not to save the world or to save your friends. It is not to heal the sick, to prophesy, or to raise the dead. These are byproducts of your purpose, but they aren’t your purpose. Your purpose is not to grow up, go to college, get a job, get married, have children and die. All to often, we get caught up in all these things thinking they are our purpose, but they aren’t.
Your purpose is intimacy and union with God. Your purpose is to surrender your all to God, and your goal should always be love and intimacy with Him. Jesus demonstrated this everyday. Jesus took every opportunity to steal away and spend time alone with God. He also didn’t do anything unless He saw God, the Father, doing it first (John 5:19). This was His prayer for you as well. Go to John 17:20-23. Jesus’ last prayer was for us to be united with Jesus and the Father just as Jesus was connected with the Father. It must be a big deal if it was Jesus’ last prayer. It is a big deal. God desires intimacy and union with you. That is your purpose. Fulfill that desire.
So now what. You know your identity and purpose, but what does it mean to truly take hold of this? First of all, you need to speak it out. There is incredible power in the spoken word. When you speak positively (speak life), then life blooms from that. If you speak negatively (speak death), the death is birthed from that. Life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverb 18:21). This has been proven in the secular realm as well. Why do you think all the self-help books write on speaking positively? It works. Speak out your true identity and purpose daily.
That is the first step. Now comes the hard part. Unity can never come from selfishness. You have to die to yourself to come into unity with the Father. You must die daily and surrender to God. You must love Him more than you love yourself. There is no shortcut around this. In Matthew 16:23-25, Jesus says that “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” You must deny yourself, which means dying to your selfish desires and all you want, and follow Jesus. Run after Jesus.
This is a big thing. It isn’t something to take lightly. Think about what it means to die to your selfish desires. Think seriously about that. You have to make a choice daily. As you make this choice, Jesus will transform you, and intimacy and unity will come. This isn’t a one time gesture. This is a daily task. You must lay everything down daily. There is never an easy road or a short cut when it comes to the things of God, but laying down yourself and following Him is the best choice you could ever make.
Lord, I ask that you reveal yourself to the person reading this devotional. Show them their true identity and purpose. Give them the strength and the courage to say “God, I love you more than I love myself, and I lay it all down for you.” Draw them in to intimacy and unity with you. In Jesus Name. Amen”
Speak the Truth - "My true identity is in God alone, and my true purpose is in unity and intimacy with the Father." (John 8:14)
Study the Truth – Ephesians 1, John 17:20-23
Read the Truth - Gospel of Matthew
Devotional by Jessica Wontor
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Outcry Youth Ministry • BridgeWay Church •8556 E. Warren Avenue • Denver, CO 80231 • 303-695-8400 • jessica@bridgeway.us