October 12, 2013 | Seth Barnes | Identity issues | 3 Comments

You Have To Fight For Identity

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Nathan Salley has experienced his share of adversity. A cancer survivor, he learned early in life that you have to fight for identity. He shares the following about that struggle. You can’t gain ground without taking risk. The object of the board game Risk is to occupy every territory o…

By Seth Barnes

12 October 2013, 12:10 am

By Seth Barnes

12 October 2013, 12:10 am

Nathan Salley has experienced his share of adversity. A cancer survivor, he learned early in life that you have to fight for identity. He shares the following about that struggle.

You can’t gain ground without taking risk.

The object of the board game Risk is to occupy every territory on the board and in so doing, eliminate all other players. It is a question of dominion – you can’t take dominion without taking a risk.

Take me for instance. I struggle to take risks – I would prefer to be good at something the first time I try it. It holds me back from trying things that are new.

I already knew the Father before I went on the World Race in 2010. I knew him as my healer, my provider, my deliverer… but not as my identity giver. I had been given promises over my life from a very young age. When I was 13 my mom wanted to throw a blessing-party for me. I thought it was stupid. Basically, I negated the blessing to come – the promises to come.

It wasn’t until one night on the Race that I began to accept promises over my life.

Jesus began throwing dynamite at my preconceived notions of how the Father works. My perception of how He saw me began to be shaken and then re-molded.

This began a process of understanding my “I am” statement. Who I am, based on what the “I AM” says I am. Understanding who you are is directly linked to understanding how the Father sees you based on the promises he gives.

Charles Stanley says, “too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going.”

Heaven’s culture speaks in promises.

And if the Lord gives you a promise, your identity as a son or daughter of the most High King provides every opportunity to expand kingdom territory on the Risk-playing board.

Take the risk of trusting his promises and you will defeat passivity, you will gain victory over disappointment, you will begin to walk in the reality of your God-given identity.

Comments (3)

Uche

October 12, 2013 at 5:47 pm

Reply

A generation that thinks with its feelings and listens with their eyes will struggle to accept who Abba says they are in Him. Bringing them to embrace His promises is a great task we can’t ignore.
Thanks for stirring us again Dad.
GERALDINE

October 29, 2013 at 9:12 am

Reply

Yes, I have also found this to be true. I once heard the story of a carpenter who made this little wooden boy.
He sent him out into the world, everyone he met labeled him or told him who he was or should be.
Well the little boy came back to his maker tired and worn out, he had stickers/labels all over him, others opinion.

The carpenter told him that he made him, only he knew how he was really made he knew all about him because he made him. The carpenter told him his true identity. So each time someone attempted to label the little boy he always remembered what his make told him. He did not live a problem free life, but he stopped questioning himself.

This is what our Heavenly Father does for us. accept his opinion.
seth

October 29, 2013 at 4:38 pm

Reply

Amen, Geraldine!