IDENTITY RESET
IDENTITY RESET
Could you benefit from an identity reset?
An identity reset is helpful if you tend to believe lies about yourself, think that you’re not enough, or wonder if God has abandoned you. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the pressures of your role as a student, parent, or employee and have begun to shift toward negative thinking. Regardless how you got where you are, you can experience an identity reset.
I’ll walk you through the process.
First, I will spend some time introducing a few terms. Then, we will explore some of the elements of our identity and how God fits into our numerous roles in life. And later, we will unpack some verses that explain how God views us, so we can re-align our thinking.
For now, invite God into the process. Ask Him to help you see yourself as He sees you. God’s way is perfect. His promises prove to be true (Psalm 18:30). For extra credit, search Scripture to look at His promises to help shift your thinking and correct any negative, untrue beliefs you may have about yourself.
PRAY
God,
From time to time, all of us need an identity reset. Who are you calling me to be? Where have I gotten out of alignment with my role as a child of God? I want to follow You first, and I need Your help to see myself as You see me.
Amen.
Read:
Psalm. 18:30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s…
Psalm 119:15 “I will study your commandments and reflect your ways.”
Psalm 104:34 “May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.”
DEFINING IDENTITY
How do you see yourself? Consider gazing at yourself in a mirror; who do you see? Who you see impacts how you will think and behave the rest of the week. Examine the following statements and determine whether you have a consonant or dissonant identity.
IDENTITY: the way you view yourself and the roles you occupy
CONSONANT IDENTITY: when your view of yourself aligns with your values.
DISSONANT IDENTITY: when your view of yourself is not in agreement with your values
If you didn’t admire who you saw in the mirror, it may be because you believe you can do better. Perhaps you value some things at a deep level, but you’ve not upheld those values. It’s time to re-align your identity with your values. Let’s begin by taking a quick dive into your thought life. Do you have any strong negative beliefs about yourself that prevent you from living out your calling? This may be a stronghold in your life.
Consider this verse that says, “We demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).” A stronghold is something that grips you tightly, likely in the mind; do you have any beliefs about yourself that grip you tightly? Maybe they need demolished. God’s Word explains a process we can follow to switch our thinking.
It’s likely that if you have a dissonant identity, it’s because you have strong values that you’re struggling to live up to. It’s possible (but unlikely) that you’re completely surprised by how successful you’ve become when you do not value hard work or feel passionate about life. But it’s more common for the dissonance to occur in the opposite direction; people feel underqualified to keep up with God’s holy standard.
This is our daily struggle. We are called to be people we simply cannot be on our own. To fight for Godliness, we need Christ to reside within us all day, every day. When we invite God into every area of our lives, we are more likely to hold a consonant identity.
PRAY
God,
Help me identify strongholds in my life. Increase my awareness to the enemy’s tactics so I can remember to call out to You! I want to honor Your holiness. Help me in my weakness.
Amen.
Read
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Proverbs 4:23
WHERE DOES GOD FIT
INTO MY IDENTITY?
Today, we will explore our roles and examine which ones strengthen our commitment to Christ. First, identify many of the roles or titles that you hold. Here are a bunch of examples: friend, church member, volunteer, mentor, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, employee, employer, neighbor, leader, athlete, spouse, student, classmate.
Once you’ve noted as many as possible, reflect on each one and identify how that role positively or negative impacts your relationship with God. For example, Bonita feels that her relationship with God is weakest when she spends time with a neighbor who frequently speaks harshly about others and Christianity as a whole. However, when she volunteers at a local health clinic, she lights up inside and finds herself wanting to do more to honor God. Jim feels most connected to God at church where he can freely praise God with his youth group, but at school, he finds it difficult to express his faith because some of his classmates have teased him about his beliefs.
Can you relate to Jim or Bonita? Although your story isn’t likely to identically resemble either of them, I pray that the Lord speaks to you about the ways you are influenced in positive and negative ways in each role you hold. As I went through this activity, I was surprised to notice how much guilt I felt in each role. This is common for me. I frequently feel like I could be doing more. Note the insights that this exercise brings for you. Then, commit to praying about next steps.
God wants to be part of every aspect of our lives. Yet, so often, we invite God into only portions of our lives. Have you invited God into your dating relationship, your work conflict, or your anger? God already knows how you feel. As you consider reasons why you might keep God out of certain parts of your life, I’m guessing that any reason you list will link back to shame. You know why I guess that?
All of us face shame. Adam and Eve hid in shame. So do we. But God called for Adam and Eve. And He calls for us, too. He wants us to come to Him, repent, and invite Him to help us form Godly relationships with Him at the center.
PRAY
God,
I invite You into my mess. Empower me to fight shame and run to You anyway. Help me gain insight to my patterns so I can stop making decisions that give me a dissonant identity. Equip me to say yes to the right roles and no to the wrong roles. Lead me where You are calling me.
Amen.
Read
Gen 3:8-10
Luke 12:2-3
WHO DOES GOD
SAY I AM?
Now that you’ve identified some habits that have impacted the way you think about yourself, take some time to reflect upon the following verses. There are key words in each verse. God tells you a role that He has given you. Begin exploring what it means to function in that role as a child of God.
Notice the words that define who God says you are in each verse below.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 NLT)
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15 ESV)
And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:17 ESV)
You are a branch, a friend, and an heir. Consider which of the passages gripped your heart most and examine why. God may be speaking to You.
If we want to experience a God-honoring identity reset, we must stay connected to God and His view of us. We do this by immersing ourselves in God’s Word. I challenge you to memorize one of the verses above so that you’ll have God’s Word hidden in your heart. Then, when you’re tempted to view yourself negatively, the Holy Spirit may remind you of The Word.
PRAY
God,
Open my eyes so I can see myself the way You see me. Thank You for the reminder that I am a branch and can do nothing on my own. I need this reminder. I look to You. I submit to You. I work to re-align myself with my role as a child of God.
Amen.
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Read:
John 15:5
John 15:15
Romans 8:17
WHO DOES GOD
SAY I AM, PART TWO
You’ve made it to our final day together! Let’s look at three more verses and identify what God says about us.
Notice the words that define who God says you are in each verse below.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:19–20 ESV)
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. (Gal. 3:26 NIV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:10 ESV)
You are God’s workmanship, a temple, and a child of God. Just as you did yesterday, reflect on the verses and invite God to show you which verse is most important for you to hold on to. Consider memorizing that verse.
We can make an identity reset. We do this daily by looking to God’s Word. Without God’s direction in our lives, we will navigate toward negative thinking and a sinful identity. We will be dominated by our sinful nature and will think about sinful things (Rom. 8:5), or we can look to God and allow Him to direct our thinking toward life and peace (v. 6).
This takes regular effort. I need an identity reset daily. As I continue looking to God’s Word, He re-aligns my views to resemble His vision more closely. I’m proud of you for finishing, for committing to God’s Word. I pray that He equips you to see yourself as He sees you, giving you an identity reset!
PRAY
God,
Thank You for creating me as a beautiful piece of work. I want to respect You. Equip me to honor my body as Your temple, and help me see myself as You see me. Strengthen my ability to fight temptation and look to the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts.
Amen.
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Read
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Galatians 3:26
Ephesians 2:10
Romans 8:5-6
Philippians 4:8
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If you’d like to complete our Identity Reset Mini Workbook, click here to provide an email address where the workbook will be sent.