Your Identity Isn't in Accomplishment - Your Nightly Prayer - September 30th

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Your Identity Isn’t in Accomplishment
Your Nightly Prayer
Amber Ginter

TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” - Mark 1:11, NIV

SOMETHING TO PONDER

When I think about my identity, the qualities I like about myself often don't come to mind. I don't know why, but I find it so much easier to point out my flaws than my strengths. Maybe it’s because I’ve always spent more time criticizing myself than celebrating who I am. Can you relate?

In Mark 1, John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus. By verse 11, Jesus has arrived. He's exhausted and starving from being tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. And yet, He asks John to baptize Him. As he's baptized, John sees heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove. God then says these words: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" (NIV). 

What I love most about this verse is that God wasn't pleased with Jesus for what He was necessarily doing (though it's very humbling and impressive—Jesus was fully God and fully human, after all). God was pleased with Jesus for who He was committed to be. Baptism is an act of external confession. A dedication and surrender to God's ways over your own. A public display of being proud to be a Christian. This moment doesn't just confirm Jesus' identity as God's son, but it affirms His calling and purpose—to go and share the Gospel to all people (a mission He later gives His disciples). 

Friends, living for God is an important part of the Christian life. Our actions should reflect our faith. But we're not saved or identified by what we do. We're saved and identified by to whom we belong. Your identity isn't in your good looks, designer clothes, or lack thereof. Your identity isn't in the number of holy deeds you accomplish, how many events you host for the Lord, or even how many homeless people you serve on the streets. Those things are important parts of being a Christ-follower, but you must remember that your identity rests in Jesus. Being His child. And in that, He is well pleased with you. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Jesus, learning to see myself the way you do isn't natural. I find it easier to pick out my physical flaws than reflect on how you hand-crafted me. Would you help me to realign my vision with internal qualities that cannot be taken away from me? Would you set my sights on Heaven and the spiritual parts of myself that come from you? Lord, above all, remind me that my worth is rooted in being your child. Not what I do or what I look like. Help me to internalize these truths. I thank and praise you, Jesus! Amen.  

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. Research what it means to find your identity in Christ. Write some of these Bible verses on your mirror (or where you'll see them daily) and commit to reciting them every morning or evening. 

2. Make a list of some of your biggest accomplishments. Then, make a list of qualities you possess as a child of God. Compare and contrast the list reflecting on why Godly values can never be taken away from us. 

3. Listen to the song "Identity" by Colton Dixon. Jot down some of your favorite lyrics in a prayer to God. Then, sit in silence and talk to God for 10-15 minutes. Ask Him to help you see yourself the way He does.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Seng kui Lim

Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.

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