As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
Ephesians 4:1-7
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
Difficult circumstances can rock our world. They can equally rock how we view ourselves. Have you ever found yourself in a tough situation where someone in your life, your job, finances – whatever – begins to chip away at your identity? Maybe you’re beginning to believe you’re a failure, not good enough, will never make it?
If we’re not careful, life’s challenges can begin to erode our confidence in who we are in Christ and lead us to question if it is actually, really true. But it should be the other way around. When we stand firmly in the truth of who we are in Christ, our circumstances no longer have an upper hand. Instead, our identity in Christ redefines our circumstances!
Despite being imprisoned on a couple of different occasions and being rejected by close friends, the apostle Paul never lost sight of Whom he belonged to and what he was called to do. His perspective on his circumstances was defined by his identity in Christ! Because of that, he was able to stand firm, even in prison, and maximize each situation as a new opportunity to share the love of Jesus.
Likewise, when our feet are firmly planted and our roots are deep in Truth, we are better prepared to rise above the noise and embrace all of life with a new perspective. Who we are in Christ and what we have to offer, namely Christ Himself, has potential to positively impact our everyday life!
Write out a particular circumstance you’re currently in that is difficult for you. Follow that up with an expression of who you are in Christ that will allow you step into your day with a faith-filled perspective.
