Day 3!! Let’s get it!!! Today, I want to build off of parts 1 and 2. I mention how it is important to not let your setbacks and challenges define who you are and let it shape your identity. I think in today’s day and age, it is easy to find your identity in grades, on Instagram, a sport we do, or something else. In high school, I cared too much about my grades. If I got a low grade on an assignment or an exam, I would feel that deeply. I based my whole identity off of my grades and that led me to stay up late, working hard on assignments and feeling stressed if I did not do so well on something.
However, as I am sitting here writing this, I am reminded that my identity is in Christ, nothing else. I encourage you all to think about what sphere of your life, other than faith (faith is important), is taking up the most space. I challenge you to set a timer. I want you to work on that area until the timer goes off and then not worry about it the rest of the day. If you feel like you spend too much time on Instagram (me included), I want you to set a screen limit on the app. I feel like my relationship with God is not what it should be when I doomscroll and spend too much time on my phone in general. One of the thoughts I have been wrestling with over the past few weeks is how to give my first and last fruits to God. I have been working on not opening Instagram first thing when I wake up. Instead, I am trying to read my Bible immediately when I get up. I am currently spending around 5 minutes in my Bible. I want to make this a daily habit and begin to spend more time in His word before I get ready for my day.
I want to share another verse with you today.
“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27
We are created in His image. He knows our heart, how we feel at any given moment. He wants us to acknowledge this. Even though He knows our heart, he still wants us to tell Him how we feel and are doing. He is not just our Lord, He is our heavenly Father. Think about the relationship between a parent and their child. The parent may know how their child feels but they may not fully know how he/she is feeling unless he/she tells them. This applies to our relationship with God too. He has an immense love for us and wants us to tell Him anything and everything. Even in the small moments, looking at a tree, in the car stopped at a light, walking to class, whatever it may be, we can take those small moments and thank God for them. He is the one who created the mountains, the sky, the wind, the land, the heaven, and the earth.
What is an identity? When we think of an identity we may think that it is part of us that gives us purpose and meaning. As a society, we define identity as the “collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known”. Therefore, our identity in Christ should be recognizable both to ourselves and others. Finding our identity in Christ requires first acknowledging that we are created in God’s image. Being created in His image gives us a unique identity that cannot be found anywhere else. It means waking up and thanking God for everything that He has done in our lives and will continue to do. In my life, I want to get better about doing this. I have a habit of waking up and then immediately going to Instagram. I seek to be better. I want to recognize God’s presence when I wake up, and thank him for being with me through everything. His blessings are new every morning and I want to acknowledge that. Additionally, I have not recently felt fulfilled when I open Instagram first thing in the morning. Today, in contrast, I opened my Bible first. Opening my Bible first has set the tone for my entire day. I have felt incredibly productive and that is because I started my day off with God. I encourage you to acknowledge something that is hindering your productivity. Acknowledging is the first step toward change.