_{“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV)}

_{God spoke you into your mother's womb at just the right time for you to be here now. It wasn’t by accident, nor was it a pleasant surprise to God; he designed you on purpose to be on mission with him for such a time as this.}

_{Your faith will grow stronger as you focus on your identity in Christ. What this means is that you abandon any image of yourself that is not from God. You stop believing what others have said about you; you stop believing how others have labeled you; you stop accepting how others have defined you.}

_{Where I’m going is here – if you don’t know who you are, then you’re vulnerable to other people telling you who you are. But the concrete, solid, gospel truth is that you are who God says you are and no one else has a vote in the matter.}

_{You are now identified with Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit within you. You are God’s precious child and he created you in a way that pleases him.}

_{This “identity issue” is an important part of living the abundant life. Jesus was able to face the incredible demands of his mission because he’d settled this identity issue. He knew exactly who he was; he knew that he mattered immensely to his Heavenly Father, and that gave him confidence to move purposefully in faith.}

_{What does this mean?}

_{· God wants you to be you – You can relax knowing that being yourself is exactly what God wants of you. A pencil brings glory to God by being a pencil. But, if you take a pencil and try to use it like a screwdriver, it won’t work and you’ll likely break the pencil. You will find the stress drained from your life when you stop trying to be somebody you’re not and instead start being who God purposefully designed you to be.} 

_{· Believe God calls you by name – God didn’t call you as part of a blanket invitation; he called you specifically by name. You are his masterpiece, a work of his own hands. Like many earthly fathers, God feels pleasure when he sees you just being you.}

_{· Believe you are who God says you are – No one else has a vote on who you are. You are free to be you instead of imitating someone else. You are free to use your unique, God-given gifts and there is no need to compare your gifts to the gifts of others. No one else is in competition to be you!} 

Oh, I love the beautiful pink mountains and lavender; such beauty inspires my soul!  So do these thoughts about "identity!"  Awesome thought Tom.  I have some inspirations on this.....

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudimetns of this world, and not after Christ!" (Col:2:8)

I am inspired to write most when I have someone in mind to give a "message" to, so I am writing to the one who doesn't feel high esteem in their "identity."

Yes, the world will and does attempt to 'spoil" us, and I'd say, demoralize us and remove confidence, even in ourselves, "by" it's own philosophies and 'rudiments," which means, principles of the world.  "Christ in you" will do the opposite!  What this means is, even if you yourself feel that you yourself have established, by your own ways of expression and all the ways you project yourself, a return reflection from people that does everything but give you confidence, lift you up, give you greater courage, etc., it is still very possible to change all that! 

The good news is, you don't have to acheive great powers to make it happen. The mystery is, it's not by the might or power of man that we grow and arise in such ways, but merely and simply by the opening unto you of this mystery of, "Christ in you, the hope of glory!"  (Col:1:27).  The verse also indicates that it's God, who "...unto you will make known the riches of Christ in you." 

Our endeavor is to grasp the reality or get a heavenly glimpse of just how it is that the more we are crucified in Christ, the more his own character becomes ours!  And consideer the benefits of his character?  He possesses a virtue that draws people to him, that quickens not only us but other with 'Life!"  There is healing virtue in him and his presence, not only to give immortality to mortality but also to make all that feels dead in you come to a New Life! 

Are we identifying with what the world has reflected upon us, or what Christ himself reflects to us personally, who is our maker and not the world?  Maybe we are identifying with what "we" reflect upon ourselves, but even that isn't always uplifting to us and providing us the confidence, joy, and interior sense of "Life" that the place that only God can fill, craves.

To know "who" we are "in" Christ, in the eyes and spirit of God, is to know who God has made us to really be, and is to know the best we can be, and it's also to know a joy and confidence that the world can't touch, even if it made us the most famous person in the world.

With God, our objective is Not to ward off the things we count as contrary, but to surrender to the things that aren't, amen!  While yes, it is good to avoid and run from some things and influences yes, by concentrating on surrendering to the One who has power to transform us, we get the both under way at the same time.

"Life consists not in the abundance of things a man possesses"  (Luke 12:15).   Just as "Life" proceeds from the heart, not from what comes at us or reflects upon us from the world, so a true and fullfilling and prosperous "Identity" proceeds from.....

                "Christ "in" You, the hope of Glory."

                                                         Kim Stilwell

_{Preacher girl Kim, use those links i gave you , implement your writings onto them and send in some articles in catagorys they give, your post was lovely in thought, you have a great insight of the word and its scriptures as well. Poetry of the Word, one reason to convert un-believers is to show them there worth in God, you have that talent, use it. Its who you are, believe me lol. Remember the scripture in the book of Proverbs 11, verse 25 i think, " he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Its what people need mostly in there daily life, not everyone sees the light like we do and have but what a perfect candidate as you to put out a blog post, or go to your profile front page and write on a blog there already set for you from us here at Adlandpro, i think that would be awesome!}