Devotionals for the Heart: Knowing and embracing your true identity

Our Identity is in Jesus Christ
A devotional by Hannah Benson

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. –2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Dear friend, your worth is not determined by what you do. Does that come as a surprise to you?

As someone whose personality is rooted in uniqueness and identity, I can tell you that I struggle with this frequently. It can go two ways: I am either proud of “who” I am based on what I do (as an actress, writer, daughter) or sickened by it (I’m a sinner who has made mistakes, which can lead me to believe that I am a mistake).

Do you see the problems with that way of thinking? For example: If my identity is tied to my job, then if someone critiques my performance at work or my choice of a career, then I might begin to think they are critiquing me. I may think if they don’t approve of my career choice then that means they don’t approve of me.

At least for now, I believe that God has put me on an unconventional career path. It doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, and sometimes, I can question it myself. But even when I wonder if this really is God’s will for my life, He provides in the most unexpected ways, reminding me that He cares for me.

The other day, God impressed on my heart this message of our identity being separate from what we do. While I am sharing it with you now, this was a message that I needed to hear first.

I thank God for this message because I often need the reminder that my identity is separate from my career, my ministry, my hobbies or even the wrong things I’ve done.

Dear friend, the same goes for you. What do you take pride in? Awards? Accomplishments? Titles? God has given them to you as a gift! But they don’t define you.

What happens if you lose your job, if the title is given to someone else or when your children have left the nest? Who would you be if all that was stripped away?

If you are a child of God, then that is your identity. Doesn’t that make you feel so much better and lighter knowing you don’t have to carry the burden of “who” you are anymore? Take a moment and let this truth sink in: You aren’t responsible for your true identity and it isn’t tied to your performance or the titles you may or may not have.

Rest in the knowledge that He who made you calls you the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8), His beloved (1 John 3:1), His chosen one (Ephesians 1:4).

No other sense of identity will truly satisfy. One day, titles will be stripped away, awards will tarnish, accolades will fade. But you can rest in knowing that God’s love for you will never be stripped away, it won’t tarnish, and it certainly won’t fade.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Father God, thank You that I don’t have to be enough on my own. Because of You, I am enough. You love me, despite all my failures, and You love me whether or not I have a title. Please help me to rest in that knowledge and to surrender to You my “identity”. Please help me to know in my heart that what I do does not define who I am. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Who I Am” by Ben Fuller. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Hannah Benson is a Jesus-follower who’s passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others. 

From the time she could hold a pen, she was writing. But it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she began to seriously follow God’s calling to write a novel. Hannah is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has at least four novels in the works. For the past five years, she has been involved with her local Biblical theater company. She wants to show others the love of Jesus through the creative arts.

When she’s not acting or working on her upcoming novel, you can find Hannah laughing with her siblings, cuddling her little fluffy dog, or reading books (usually historical fiction or fantasy stories). You can read more of Hannah’s writings on her blog or on her Instagram where she strives to write content that leaves others feeling encouraged.

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Connect with Hannah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlbensonwrites/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hannah-Lynn-Writer/100073790792576/
Blog: www.loveunconditional.blog

Devotionals for the Heart: Identity

Identity: Kingdom Legacy
A devotional by Erin M. Handley

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

– Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)

Identity. Complex, yet so simple.

Basic psychology reminds us that everyone goes through stages where they explore various behaviors and roles as they search to create and solidify who they are. It is generally associated with a phase that occurs in preteens and teenagers, but the phase to some degree lingers in the minds of adults, too.

These stages primarily are bouts of identity exploration – or more specifically, identifying and validating the person they want others to see. Despite this phase many of us go through, many of us never stray too far away from what we know to be true about whose we are although we sometimes struggle to articulate who we are.

It is easy for many of us to limit our identities to who we believe others would see us as if they knew our stories. Some people associate their identity with the trauma they have experienced in their life. It is also easy to associate one’s identity to the legacy they hope to leave behind in the future – one as a husband or wife, a parent, mentor, or friend. A great person of great impact. All of the things many hope can be said of the legacy they leave behind when they are no longer here.

But then I am reminded that His purpose for me is so much greater than my desires could ever be. I remember that as a daughter of the Eternal King (God), He has positioned me to leave a much bigger legacy than I could fathom simply by adhering to His will.

Sometimes, we tend to become so wrapped up in the identity we have allowed our situation to create for us, that we forget to willingly embrace and prioritize the identity that God created for us. Our identity is much more than the trauma we experienced through life or the roles we play in the lives of others. I know many people who have clung to the idea that their identity is limited to the roles they play in the lives of other people: husband, wife, homemaker, the parent working two jobs just to make ends meet or the entrepreneur who never wants for anything because they have everything they ever wanted. These are all great things, and I know many phenomenal individuals who carry out their roles incredibly well. But I also know these roles are not the sum total of who they are or who you are.

Truthfully speaking, our identities are much more than those things that make-up the best or the worst parts of us. These titles and attributes that stem from what you do for others and how others see you are not who you are. It’s what you do, but what you do does not solely define you. Who you are is a child of God. You are a child of the King. You are exactly who God created you to be for the purpose of His Kingdom.

Our identities should speak to who we were created to be. Our identity should be rooted in our Kingdom purpose and not the roles we play in the lives of others. Your primary role is to be just what He called you to be in this season – regardless of what it looks like.

Whatever it is that you believe that God has called you to be, be sure that you are doing so as a commitment to God and not to anyone else. Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV) instructs us to remember that “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

As you serve Him, come out of the shadows of the identities rooted in limited perspectives of those you serve. I challenge you to elevate your role as husband, wife, parent, family, or friend to that of one who works to elevate the Kingdom. As a child of the King you have a very specific call on your life and it is up to you to walk in the purpose He created for you.

Remember, you have a very critical role to play in God’s master plan.

Let’s Pray: Lord, in all that we do, help us remember to do it all for You. Help us to remember that if we follow You in every aspect of our lives, then You will ultimately lead us to the destiny that you have specifically created for each and every one of your children. Continue to love us in such an intimate way that we cannot deny that our identity is in You. Help us to understand that at the end of it all, when people look at us, they should see You. Thank You for grace and Your unwavering love for us. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

*Note from Alexis: Erin’s devotional message today reminded me of this song by Crystal Lewis called “Remember Who You Are.” Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

With an ever-growing desire to continually learn the Word of God and present teachings based on Biblical principles, Erin M. Handley is committed to her calling of teaching and inspiring others to ‘be more by doing more.’ With this in mind, Erin mentors young women and appreciates seeing the growth and change in the lives she impacts.

While she sincerely enjoys mentoring and speaking to young people, she is most passionate about educating and empowering women from various stages of life about Biblical womanhood and how to live out those principles in today’s world. 

For over 15 years, Erin has worked with youth and adolescents in the fields of mental and behavioral health, education, and ministry.

When reflecting on her experiences in ministry and non-ministry settings, her most memorable encounters have been those that allowed her the opportunity to teach the Word of God in a way that is most relatable to the audience she served in that moment. She has enjoyed writing since her youth, but only recently felt the call to share her writing with the world.

With an undergraduate degree in English and a graduate degree in Ministry and Pastoral Counseling, Erin M. Handley has been fortunate to be able to leverage her gifts and her passions throughout her career in Education.

Aside from reading, writing, and mentoring, Erin enjoys dancing, interior design, cooking, and most other activities which allow her to utilize her creativity.

Devotionals for the Heart: Dreams

When I Grow Up …
A devotional by Glynis Becker

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

–Psalm 100:1-3 (NASB)

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was a child who loved all things related to air and space: planets, stars, the Space Shuttle, airplanes. I dreamed about being an astronaut, but dreams and reality do not always coincide. The truth is, I am not a risk-taker at all, so even riding roller coasters at the fair is a no-go for me. There is no way I’d actually take a rocket to space. I realized at a pretty young age that I would never be able to introduce myself as an astronaut.

I also spent some time wanting to be a doctor or nurse. I love science, but the more I learned about biology the more I realized I wouldn’t be able to handle that at all. My family, who has seen me almost pass out from someone just talking about their surgeries or ailments, thinks it's funny that I ever even thought I could work in the medical field. So I guess I’ll never be able to introduce myself as a doctor, either.

In this society our entire identities can be wrapped up in what we do. We often, probably too often, place our search for meaning and legacy in the job or position we hold. If it’s one the world considers prestigious, then we are “successful.” If not, a person might feel they have nothing important to offer.

In the kingdom of God no one is insignificant. No one has any more than anyone else to offer to God. He has given us life and breath and we all we can do is give those back to Him. You and I may not make major contributions to science, or write bestselling books, or be loved by millions as a celebrity, but lucky for us, our eternal identities don’t depend on any of that.

Do you feel like you’ve failed or are insignificant? Offer Him yourself today. Give Him this moment and ask Him to breathe new life into your identity. No matter your age, no matter how many dreams have been crushed by your shortcomings or the circumstances you live in.

I now have a new dream for when I grow up. I want to see myself the way Jesus sees me. I want my identity to wrap itself in His. And I want to see others that way as well.

Let’s pray: Dear God, I give You everything. I don’t care if I am a success or a failure in this world, I just want to be who you have designed me to be. I love you and want to rest in Your love for me. Be with me today and always. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

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Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume. 

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. 

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Identity

I am God’s daughter
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

When my daughter was five, she was desperate to dye her dark-brown hair a vivid golden blond, swap her chocolate-colored eyes out for blue, and lighten her olive skin to a fair peach. (She also wanted to change her name, but that’s another story entirely.) In my mind, she should have been immune to these things, but already, the games had begun.

You know, the comparison games. The games many of us start to play as preteens and sometimes never stop.

“Why can’t I have curly hair like her?”

“Why can’t I have straight hair?”

“Why can’t I be curvy?”

“Why can’t I be less curvy?”

What is wrong with us? We’re all so desperate to fix these supposed flaws we believe we have, think if we can just change this or disguise that or get rid of X, Y, Z, or Q then everything will be perfect. Perhaps we think we can alter our identity, change our path.

At the root of all this is a misguided perception that somehow, someway, we don’t measure up to some ideal standard. Somehow, we fall short. Somehow, we are not good enough.

However, one look at Scripture tells us this is all an awful lie.

When God created the universe, He made the heavens and the waters over the earth, the plants and the trees, and said it was all good (Genesis 1:10, 12). He made the day, the night, and the stars above, and said it was good (18). He made the fish, the birds, and all the animals and said it was good (21, 25).

But when He made humans? That was exceptionally special.

Genesis 1:27 says God created human beings “in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (NLT).

That to God wasn’t just “good”—it was “very good” (31).

We know this is true. So why do we think negative thoughts about ourselves and how we were made? Why do we think we were born with the “wrong” hair color?

Why did God make me short, or have broad shoulders or hips?

Why I born deaf, or with a heart condition, or nearsighted?

No matter how God made us, we can rest assured it was by design. God didn’t “mess up somehow” or “make a silly mistake” when He made us. Every bit of God’s design for us was intentional.

And He made every single one of us in His image.

That is profound!

Not only are we made in His image, but we are also known completely by Him—and loved exactly how we are. Scripture is filled with those reminders.

Psalm 139-13-16 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (NLT).

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’” (NLT).

This same God—THE God, the One and the Only, the Alpha and the Omega—knit us, formed us, planned our future, and loves us completely and wholly.

And God doesn’t scrimp! I’m His daughter, and I know: He doesn’t make junk.

It’s time we remembered how very much He loves us and how perfectly created we are… just the way we are.

We need to love ourselves just as God loves us.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden.

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministries team.

Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Women of God and Mother's Day

Beyond ‘Mom’: Celebrating Women of God
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

This Sunday (May 13) is Mother’s Day, a day that used to have one meaning for me: an opportunity to make my mom feel loved and cherished in gratitude for enduring a twelve-hour labor with no pain medication and then raising me, a precocious, bookish girl, to maturity.

But like so many things over the years, this day has evolved. Today, not only do I celebrate my own mother, but also my equally outstanding mother-in-law, my sister and sister-in-law, my stepmother, my aunt, and my grandmothers (here on earth and in heaven). And, of course, my husband and four kiddos—two biological, two “bonus” courtesy of our blended family—celebrate me, too, which always seems entirely unnecessary but very, very sweet to experience as they gather homemade cards and crafts in my honor.

And yet I can’t stop there, for I also celebrate the other women in our world… my children’s stepmom and my stepchildren’s mom, both loving, strong people who adore those kids and help shape them into the great people they are becoming. I also embrace and appreciate all the other women who influence my kids right along with me. I might carry the title “mom,” but we all work together in this: their brilliant and compassionate teachers, their ministry leaders at our church, the moms in our small group Bible study who pray for our flock daily, my other mom-friends in our neighborhood who take turns with me in caring and loving on all our kids for playdates, carpooling, and sleepovers.

They say it takes a village; I say they’re right.

While I’m blessed to have a wonderful biological mother who is a Christian, many of my friends have mothers who have already passed on—and others have it far worse: Their mothers are not women of faith. Some are addicts, driven by a demon and looking to fill the proverbial hole with anything but God. Some, whether from fear or circumstance, have left their children behind. Some are in prison. Some they haven’t talked to in years.

Sadly, I also have friends who are adoptive and foster moms but not fully comfortable with their role; they feel like “false moms” (they most certainly are not!). Others struggle with infertility, like I once did, or have decided for a variety of reasons that birthing children is not something they intend to do, yet the holiday still haunts them.

Where I live, there’s a place, Epworth Children’s Home, that has chosen not to celebrate “Mother’s Day” at all but rather “Women’s Day.” Their director said Mother’s Day at Epworth does not bring smiles and pleasant memories but is often a reminder of broken promises and shattered dreams. So instead, they focus on what it means to be a woman in the eyes of God.

Here’s the thing: “Mother” is not an identity. And while it’s a lovely thing to take a day to celebrate the woman who birthed us or the women who helped shape us, in reality, our children are not “ours” but God’s—and we are not “mothers” first but rather “children of God.”

In fact, as a Christian, if I’m truly honoring my Savior, I’d do well to keep that open-ended concept of family in mind.

In Matthew 12, Jesus was teaching God’s word to a large crowd when someone told Him that His mother and brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to Him.

“(Jesus) replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48-50, NIV).

Family isn’t mere biology or bloodlines. When we toss aside the mantle of the world and instead choose to follow Christ, we not only gain a new life, but also a new family. We are no longer daughters and sons of flesh and blood but children of the Risen God. Our parent is God, and our siblings are all who walk alongside us in faith.

Happy Mother’s Day, then, and Happy Women’s Day…to God, to my mom, and to women of faith everywhere.

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Author Bio: 

Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate (AdvocateSC.org), the oldest continuously published newspaper in Methodism. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/.

A Prelude to Christmas: Darlene's story about a matchmaker adventure

Welcome Darlene Franklin to the blog today! She's been here before to share other stories. The most interesting fact about Darlene as an author is that she writes her stories from her residence in a nursing home. 

Today, Darlene would like to tell you about her new novella about a matchmaking gone wrong. Here's the cover photo of her book:

Book blurb for Matchmaker Mixup: Pippin Cortland has decided to accept Clint Keller’s invitation to the Homecoming Dance their senior year. She’s said no for the last three years but wants to go at least once—with Clint.

Only Clint invites Pippin’s twin Margil instead. She agrees to go with Clint—and then accepts a second invitation as well. She insists Pippin pretend to be her sister and take her place with Clint.

When Clint falls for “Margil” at the dance, what is Pippin supposed to do?

WIN a copy of Darlene's holiday novella by filling out the Rafflecopter form:

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Enjoy the interview with Darlene! :)

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Interview questions for Darlene Franklin, author of Matchmaker Mixup:

Alexis: “Matchmaker Mixup” is such a creative and adventurous title for a Christmas novel! How did you first create it?

Darlene: Matchmaker came from my editor. Our Christmas collection this year is Merry Matchmaker. So, I needed a matchmaker, and I knew I wanted to use the Cortland twins who appeared in an earlier book (An Apple for Christmas). From there, the idea of twins trading place jumped full-grown into my mind.

Since I love alliteration (Romanian Rhapsody, Prodigal Patriot), and my story involves the mixup that results when identical twins switch dates at the annual homecoming dance—"Matchmaking Mixup" was the happy result.

Alexis: What is your novel about?

Darlene: Pippin Cortland has decided to accept Clint Keller’s invitation to the Homecoming Dance their senior year. She’s said no for the last three years but wants to go at least once—with Clint.

Only Clint invites Pippin’s twin Margil instead. She agrees to go with Clint—and then accepts a second invitation as well. She insists Pippin pretend to be her sister and take her place with Clint.

When Clint falls for “Margil” at the dance, what is Pippin supposed to do?

Alexis: Reading your story was fun but as the author, did you ever get confused in trying to write back and forth from each identical twins’ perspective? Why or why not?

Darlene: It was definitely difficult. In the same scene, Clint was calling Pippin “Margil” and calling Margil “Pippin.” Pippin in her thoughts thought of her sister as Margil but had to call her Pippin when she was talking to Clint. Eye-crossing craziness.

I asked my editor to pay special attention, as I did, that I kept their names straight.

Alexis: Tell us about your heroine Pippin Cortland. What makes her tick? What warms her heart? Who does she love and why?

Darlene: Pippin loves poetry. She loves her family, her twin, the Lord—and slowly, to her surprise—Clint Keller.

As a child, she always loved telling stories, and she became more withdrawn and shy as she matured.

In three years of college, she hasn’t dated anyone, until Margil forces her to date Clint. The more he gets to know “Margil” (Pippin), the more he likes her—such as her surprising athletic skills.

Alexis: Tell us about Pippin’s identical twin sister Margil. What is she like? How is she different from Pippin? Describe Margil’s role in this story.

Darlene: Margil is Pippin’s opposite. She’s a math major, outgoing. She hasn’t missed homecoming once in their years at the college.

Margil accepts Clint’s invitation to the homecoming dance—and later accepts Ned’s invitation as well. She’d rather go with Ned, and she decides to coax Pippin into taking her place as Clint’s date for the night.

That’s not as mean as it sounds. She’s tried to get Pippin and Clint together for three years. This is the perfect solution! As Margil expected, Pippin and Clint enjoy each other’s company once they get together.

Alexis: Tell us about the hero Clint Keller. Who is he? What does he like and dislike? Why was he in love with Pippin at first but then what made him fall for Margil?

Clint Keller loves baseball but he’s not good enough to be a professional. Instead he’s happy working as a carpenter while he’s a professional student and happy new husband (by the end of the book.)

At the beginning for the, Clint doesn’t so much fall for Margil as settle for her as the best substitute for Pippin. When he starts to fall in love with “Margil” he thinks he made a mistake pursuing Pippin all those years—until he learns he’s been dating Pippin all along and his initial instincts were right.

Alexis: Describe the setting of this story for those who have not yet read your book. What makes it special?

Darlene: The book is set at a fictional college in the fictional town of Maple Notch. Using the actual University of Vermont would require more in depth research and resources than I had readily available. This way, I could create courses of study and buildings to my heart’s content.

Maple Notch is dear to my heart as the town I created for my 8-book Heartsong series set in Vermont, from the Revolutionary War (Prodigal Patriot) through the present day (Small Town Bachelor). All but one book has been republished recently with Winged Publications and we hope to assemble them into an omnibus collection as soon as I have that last book.

Alexis: What was your greatest challenge in writing this novel?

Darlene: How long could I string out Pippin’s deception? I didn’t want to create a story where the reader asked, why didn’t they just admit what they’d done earlier?

I solved the problem by writing a shorter-than-usual novella (by about 2,000 words). which allowed me to bring it to a conclusion when it seemed right.

As I mentioned above, I also struggled with keeping the girls’ names straight. 

Alexis: Complete this sentence: If I could spend an afternoon with one of my characters in this book, I would spent it with _________________because _____________________.

Darlene: If I could spend an afternoon with one of my characters in this book, I would spend it with Margil because she’s a poet and we would talk about New England and read her poems.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Darlene! Take care and God bless you.

Darlene: Thanks for the challenging and insightful question! The longer I write, the more of a “pantser” I become, and I had to figure out what I had written.

~*~
Author bio: 

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin's greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family. 

She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over forty books and more than 250 devotionals.

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Buy Darlene's book on Amazon
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Connect with Darlene: 
Website and blog
Facebook
Amazon author page
Follow her on Twitter @darlenefranklin

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