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Who am I?

The science of change

I have just watched a very interesting video. It was about this doctor who had decided that there were certain things in her life, habits, that she wanted to change.

Over years, she had tried and tried with some temporary successes being her only track record. And then she struck gold. She discovered, or rather she read that someone had discovered, that behaviour, habits, communication style, commitments etc are all governed by one thing – identity – who you believe you are. Not who you want other people to believe you are, but who you believe you are. Your success or lack thereof is all tied up in your real personal identity. Who you know you are. Yes I said it. Who you KNOW you are.

Recently a person told me that they would love to give up smoking. So I asked him why he smokes? He gave a number of reasons about smoking helping him to cope with stress, keep his weight down etc. So I asked him again, “so why do you smoke?” Shrugging his shoulders and sighing, he looked up at me and told the truth, “I guess I’m a smoker.” And there it was! While his identity is that of being a smoker, he hasn’t got a chance of quitting. Because his personal identity will always dictate how he lives his life and how he relates to the world around him.

So if your identity is one of, “I’m stupid”, like mine was at school when I couldn’t understand math, you can bet your life that you’ll achieve just that, being and looking stupid. If your identity is one of absolute passion and integrity in all that you do, that is how you will behave even when there is no one around to see it! By the way, the school found out I could do math. I just had a stupid teacher. But the identity that he laid on me lasted years!

So if you want to change any habits or behaviours that you don’t want, or are keeping you from achieving what you want to achieve, don’t even try! You will fail. Rather change your identity.

Yes. Change your identity! Understand and accept your identity in Jesus, because once you accept Jesus as your Saviour, you are a Child - Son – Daughter of God. Notice the capital letters – Child, Son, Daughter. You are a Child of the most HIGH GOD! The creator and ruler of this universe is your Dad!

So in light of this, lets examine this “Who Am I” and just add one word to it – really. Who am I really? And that’s the battle - to believe what God says about who I am.

Because, God says one thing about me, but in reality, I feel something completely different.

Which one am I going to believe? God, or my feelings?

There's the battle you see. Ignoring your feelings and rather believing God. The identity that God has for you, is not only at salvation. It’s and every day identity.

Take forgiveness for example. A very touchy subject at the best of times.

God says: "You are forgiven." The Christian says: "Yes, but..."

Take guilt. God says: "There is no condemnation." The Christian says: "Yes, but you don't know what I did."

Take acceptance. God says: "You are my child." The Christian says: "Yes, but..."

And there it is. The entire Christian walk is learning to trust God's belief in us rather than our own belief of ourselves.

Now think about your own journey. The boy who was ridiculed. The man who carried resentment. The Christian who struggled with forgiveness.

Every stage of your life and Christian growth, involved the same question: "Am I going to believe what God says about me, or what my experiences and feelings say about me?"

Because the greatest obstacle to change is not bad habits. It is believing the wrong evidence about who we are.

As long as I believe I am a smoker, I will smoke.

As long as I believe I am a failure, I will act like one.

As long as I believe I am unforgivable, I will live under condemnation.

But when I begin to believe what God says about me, everything changes.

Not because my behaviour changes first. But because my identity changes.

And so the question is not:

"Who do I say I am?"

The question is:

"Whose voice am I going to believe?" God’s or mine? Believe your own voice and you will never feel good enough because you’ll be playing to a performance scorecard.

Believe what God says about you, that you are forgiven and clean, and the only scorecard that then exists is the strength of the relationship that you have with Him.

Author: Mark Deavall