Theme: Identity
Identity theft is infuriating. When you learn that someone has stolen your identity the process begins of notifying your bank, disputing charges, cancelling cards, creating new emails, resetting passwords, and wondering why someone would do that to you in the first place. Then there is the annoyance of stopping your plans to deal with the effects of a criminal act from an anonymous thief.
But all of that can be fixed. What is of greater concern is when our identity is stolen by abusive language, lies, negative self-talk, cognitive distortions, and damaging experiences. We can end up becoming a person God never intended for us to be - a much tougher fix. So what do we do if we have lost our true identity?
Laura Daigle's song "You Say" deals with identity theft in the personal realm. You should listen to it. The basic idea of the song is a question, "Who tells us who we are?" Paul is dealing with the same question as he writes to the Galatians. He is trying to tell them who God says they are. Why? Because they were listening more to other people than God. So let me ask you again, "Who tells you who you are?" Others, you, God, or a mixture of all of them? Maybe you should take a moment and pray these scriptures over yourself and/or someone today. Why? Because there is no better source than God to listen to when it comes to who you really are. Put your name or someone else name in the prayers below and receive who God says you are. You don't have to be a victim of identity theft.
Scripture: Galatians 4:4-6, 5:1-6 (NIV)
"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” - Galatians 4:4-6
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." - Galatians 5:1-6
Prayer: Identity
Galatians 4:4-5 May ______ rejoice because when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that ______ might receive adoption to sonship.
Galatians 4:6 God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father", so _______ can call God his/her Father.
Galatians 5:1 May ______ believe that it is for freedom that Christ has set him/her free.
Galatians 5:5 May ______ believe that it is by faith through the Spirit that he/she eagerly awaits righteousness for which he/she hopes.
Galatians 5:6 May ______ know that “in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” May ______ live a life of faith expressing itself through love.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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