If knowing our identity helps us avoid becoming trapped in the cycle of people-pleasing, then it’s crucial for us to work out exactly what our identity is, and see if there are any areas of our identity that we’re getting from other sources than God. Satan wants us to identify with who people say we are, rather than who God says we are. And unless we know who we are in God’s eyes, we’ll be left struggling with feelings of condemnation and unworthiness. Our identity is not in things like our reputation, our job or our finances. If we try and use these things as a foundation for who we are, we’ll end up trapped in insecurity and fear. Our self-worth can only be truly found in what God says about us. God says: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’ We are His. That’s our identity. We are children of God and we’re loved and accepted by Him. The Bible says: ‘What great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’ (1 John 3:1 NIV). Once we accept that truth, we can stop feeling like we’re never good enough. We don’t have to struggle for other people’s approval when we know we’re loved and accepted by God. Knowing who we are in Christ gives us confidence to hold our head high as followers of God in a society which seems preoccupied with popularity and success. So let’s be people who, knowing their true identity, can live counter-culturally without worrying what people think of us.
