Identity Crisis: A Culture of Low Self-Esteem and Social Acceptance -- Part II; With Whom Do You Identify?

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.-- Galatians 2:20 (New King James Version)

In Nazi Germany, police officers indiscriminately accosted people on the streets at any given time and forced them to present some sort of legal document to verify their identity. Well, we may not live in Nazi Germany, but spiritually-speaking, we do live in a society that does require us to identify ourselves. If we don’t properly identify ourselves spiritually, then the secular world will certainly accommodate us and identify us by default. We have been given such a great opportunity to do great things in this country, and many times, through ignorance, laziness, etc. we fail to live up to our full potential. Let’s see if we can glean some insights about how we should identify ourselves. By doing so, we can make a reasonable assessment and make the necessary changes in order to become the best person that God intended us to be.

Do you know who you are?

Why is this such an important, rhetorical question to answer? Is it really that important for us to know ourselves? It is important because God created the sun for warmth, light and life; He created the trees to produce oxygen for the planet, and everything else that He created was done so for a specific purpose. So how much more are you and I, who were created in His image and likeness, created for a specific purpose? Knowing who you are, and whose you are is the first step to gaining a true sense of worth and a high level of self-esteem. Who are you? Where did you get the image of who you are? Are you rooted and grounded in Him (Colossians 2:7)?

Do you know those around you or work with you?

Would you let just anyone watch your child, or would it have to be someone or some entity that you trust? I am sure that Barack Obama’s parents weren’t in the delivery room just waiting for him to grow so that he could run for President of the United States. I am sure that they wanted the best for their child, but who knows what exactly God has in store for us unless He tells us. You never know what people’s destiny holds. They may be the ugly duckling today, but they might become the beautiful swan in the near future. Recognize worth in others because God created us all in a wonderful manner (Psalm 139:14); and you never know how someone else’s purpose, gifting, anointing or presence could manifest goodness on your behalf. Encourage someone, be positive and build up someone’s self-esteem today. Remember, you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7).

Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 (Amplified Bible)

Today, the Church (those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ) has been given a new spiritual identity. The secular world identifies themselves with things pertaining to their five senses (feel, touch, taste, smell, and sight). Whatever is cool on television, billboards, the latest trends, or whatever the “in-style” people are doing is generally what is accepted as the benchmark of success. Others identify themselves by ethnicity or locale. I just went to Mexico and people support “La Raza” (translated: the race). All races have pride in their culture and land, and there is nothing wrong with being proud of the culture or the homeland that God has given you. But both of these natural demographics pale in comparison to the importance of your identity in Christ.

Order of importance to your identity:

1. Christian (this is your eternal/spiritual identity)
2. Culture/Familial (this is your natural identity, and it is one of the many ways through which God expresses who He is)
3. Locale (this is your geographical identity)
   
   

There are other things with which you can identify, but these few are a good start in recognizing who you are and what God has put within you. As God is a three in one being (1 John 5:7, Father, Son and Holy Spirit), so are humans three in one beings (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Spirit, Soul and Body). God is a spirit (John 4:24), and we must first identify with Him as a spirit being, because we were made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-28). This is the most important thing that any human can do in this life.

If you are not a Christian, then you are currently out of spiritual balance as far as your identity is concerned. Nothing is more important than a positive relationship with God. We ARE all God’s creatures but we ARE NOT all of God’s children. You must become one of God’s children through Jesus Christ (John 1:12); and the gift of eternal life is available to all (John 3:16). Many people try to complicate and over-spiritualize God; but God is intelligent enough to break Himself down so that finite humanity can understand His will.

Some people wish to define themselves based upon their ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or other external categories. All of these temporal, non-substantive, and secular things that people give credence to are very unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Basketball, the latest fashion, celebrities, being in the “in-crowd,” and being privy to the newest trends are not things that are going to make you a better person and increase a positive image of self-esteem in you. Remember, there is a secular way to do things, and there is a Biblical way to do things. If you are a Christian, then your option is a no-brainer.

You are an African-American, a Caucasian, a Mexican, or whatever your ethnicity is secondary! Your ethnicity is the shell of who you are; it’s the outside with which we identify one another externally. We create bonds based upon ethnicity, and that’s great; but your ethnicity didn’t exist before God. Identify with Him, first. Try getting into Heaven based upon being a strong and proud African American, Caucasian or an Asian. You will bust Hell wide open. Believe that!!!!

O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination.-- 1 Timothy 6:20 (Amplified Bible)

Do people and the enemy of our souls discern you with a positive spiritual identity? Look at the above picture. That police officer is reviewing that man’s information to verify his natural identity. Change that picture to a spiritual one, and the enemy of our souls is the police officer. What would your paperwork say to him? Would it say that you are a solid, Word-based Christian? That your life has changed for the good, and is continually changing for the good?

You might be able to fool some of the people around you, but you can’t fool God, the enemy or yourself.

• God knows exactly who you are because He made you. The owner can always diagnose any situation with his products.
• The enemy knows who you are because you are his enemy. People are familiar with their opposition; and to a great degree he has probably been training you through some of his secular devices for quite sometime now. He has been studying your likes, dislikes, your weaknesses, your pain, and the strength of your spirit, soul (mind, will, intellect), and body. Look at the account of the seven sons of Sceva in the Book of Acts 19:13-20. The evil spirit spoke and admitted that he knew who Jesus and Paul were because there were identified and walking in the Spirit of God. But the sons of Sceva were not proven to be spiritual children of God, and as a result they were defeated by the evil spirit. If you were one of the seven sons of Sceva, do you think that that would have been handled by the evil spirits in that matter? Or are you identified with Christ and could have overcome?
• You will always know that truth about who you are. You may not want to admit it, recognize it or deal with it, but we all know if we are “on point” or “pulling the wool over someone’s eyes.” Be true to yourself! And as the Greek sage Socrates has been identified as saying, “Know yourself.”
  

With what or with whom you identify, good or bad, will determine your level of self-esteem. If you don’t identify with Christ first, then you will never have high self-esteem, because your self-esteem must be founded upon truth, the Rock Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). Self-esteem is a spiritual rooting and grounding. People who are not identified with Christ but seem to be happy and doing well are operating on soul power/emotions. Have you ever noticed that you can feel good about yourself if you accomplish a task, clean your room, finish washing and waxing your car, etc.? It feels kind of euphoric; that’s because God created us with things such as endorphins (natural opiates) to reward us for doing well or completing a task. But feeling good about what you are doing, doesn’t mean that you have high self-esteem. I have met people that do immoral things and make lots of money. But they are experiencing an external and natural satisfaction, not a heart-felt peace in their life.

Things to think about and ask yourself

1. Are you living your life or portions of your life in a way that may prove to be destructive? If so, why?
2. Are you thinking about the ramifications of some of your actions?
3. Are you more in tuned with the natural or the spiritual side of who you are?
4. Does television, peer pressure and other media advertising influence how you think to a great degree?
5. Could you live peaceably without television, radio or magazines for 1 month? Could you replace those things with reading books, thinking, observing your surroundings, planning your future, and mapping out some strategies to achieve success?
6. Do you think that the people that you consider to be your friends are people who will be honest, successful and positive people in the community? If so, why?
7. Do you think that the people that you consider to be your friends are people who are adding to, subtracting from, dividing or multiplying in your life? If so, what and how?
8. How would you measure your self-esteem? On what do you base your answer?
9. How can you build your self-esteem?
10. Is it important for you to love and respect yourself? Remember, you can’t give what you don’t have. You can only love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love, respect and honor yourself today.
11. Women: would you sell you body for money? Would you date and/or marry a man primarily because he could take care of you financially?
12. Men: what kind of woman do you want to marry? Why?

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.-- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New King James Version)

You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ].-- 1 Corinthians 7:23 (Amplified Bible)

To know your own self worth is a great treasure. But in order to get a proper identification of yourself, you must go to the One who created you. There are many imposters and imitations that will make you feel good about yourself. But why settle for a generic version when you can have the real thing? Why should Jesus have settled for the devils empty promise in Matthew 4:8-9?

“Again, the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Jesus, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

He didn’t fall for the devil’s lie because Jesus was well-versed in the Word of God and knew that all of the earth and the fullness thereof was promised to Him anyway. The enemy had nothing to offer Him. Besides, if Jesus would have accepted the devil's deceptive offer, Jesus would have sinned and could have never redeemed mankind from sin.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”--Isaiah 9:6-7

The Bible admonishes us in 1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” As Jesus is, so should we follow His example in all areas of life, including knowing God’s Will for our lives. It is simple, yet profound. No matter what you may think or what someone has told you, you are better than what the world says that you are. You aren’t a pimp, a whore, a hoochie mama, a b*tch, an idiot or anything else that is negative. You may be acting these roles out, because the media and this world system has trained you to disrespect and hate yourself; but that isn’t who God made you to be. Love your brown skin, your white skin, your wide nose, your pointy nose, your wide hips, your skinny frame, and all of the unique characteristics and traits that God has given you. Get in tuned to the real YOU and find out all of the wonderful blessings that God has in store you. Madison Avenue and all of the advertising agencies want you to pay them close attention to them and their propaganda; however, we are instructed to watch out for contrarian viewpoints.

“See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men's ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).”-- Colossians 2:8 (Amplified Bible)

You are beautiful, but you have to believe that. People can only suggest who you are, but if you accept it, then you will become what they say you are. Be real and true to yourself. You are God’s beloved creation. Know that, and Live well.