Identity: The Key to Destiny's Door
A person’s life is like a large house, full of stories and experiences. There are various levels and rooms reserved for certain seasons of life, each one unique in style, complex in design and purpose. Within each house are many doors that open and close throughout the course of its existence. Some are easier to open than others. Some require a little prying. Some are best left closed forever. Others, however, require a key.
The door to your destiny is one that requires a key--one that can seem very difficult to find. It cannot be created instantly or reproduced in any way. It cannot be bought with money, although it does come at a price.
This is the key of identity.
Many Christ-followers wander through their houses--their lives--never able to open the door to their destiny because they simply do not know their true identity in Christ. Although people ask themselves what their purpose in this world is, they rarely live out the answer. I truly believe that in this time of history--in a season of worldly chaos and profound self-anonymity--the Lord is calling His Bride to know her true identity and to live out her purpose, effectively advancing the Kingdom of God here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Christ the Key-Molder
To know your identity in Christ requires first and foremost that you know Him personally. As cliché as it sounds, it is the truth! How can one really know himself without first intimately knowing the One who created him? Our journey to knowing ourselves begins with knowing God’s nature and character. He is the One who carefully molds the key of identity by revealing Himself in our lives as we pursue Him. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, three significant things begin to take place:
Knowing Him causes you to know what He says about you. If you truly desire to know what the Lord says about your identity, dive into His Word! Take this for instance:
He calls you His child. (John 1:12)
He calls you His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
He calls you a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
He calls you forgiven and set free. (Ephesians 1:7, Romans 8:2)
He calls you royalty and part of a chosen priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9)
When we become alive in Christ through salvation, He infuses our spirits with the reality of His DNA and His Kingdom. This is the primary building block of our identity in Him.
Knowing Him reveals your authority in Him. Knowing the people He has divinely called us to be sets the precedent for understanding and operating in His authority. I recently heard a pastor say, “Unused authority creates a spirit of poverty and limitation.” What a profound statement! How grievous it must be to the Lord when His own people do not understand the authority they possess in Him, and therefore live in apathy and purposelessness!
The Bible teaches us that when we operate in the supernatural authority He has implanted in us, we trample on the head of the enemy (see Luke 10:19) and are equipped to preach the Gospel to the nations, witnessing signs, wonders and miracles (see Mark 16:15-18).
I believe the most powerful aspect of our authority in Christ, however, is that we share in His rule and reign with Him (see 2 Timothy 2:11-13). This is even more empowering when we realize “as He is, so we are in this world” (1 John 4:17). Although we can never be God Himself, the fact that He has called us to be as He is in this world makes changing it possible. If we truly believe this, our authority to influence and transform communities, cities, and nations will be a very tangible reality!
Knowing Him gives you eternal perspective, especially when you wholeheartedly understand the fact that you will spend eternity with Him! This simple yet deep revelation allows you to live every aspect of your life with an eternal mindset, giving way to your purpose.
Consider this:I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. - Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
How incredible it is to know that God weaves His purpose and tasks for us into the reality of eternity! These factors should motivate us to partner with Him in changing nations far more than anything else. No amount of money or fame can ever compare with the promise of eternity and the calling He has prepared for us to advance His eternal Kingdom.
Responding to Truth
Be encouraged to seek Christ more! Allow Him to reveal His character and nature, and form your true identity that will lead to living out the destiny He has prepared for you.
Evaluate your own life. Are there lies you have believed about yourself that contradict what the Lord has said about you? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where you have negated your self-worth.
Pray for God to give you the courage to utilize the authority He has given you. Remember that faith requires action! Step out in your God-given authority to pray for others, lay hands on the sick and boldly preach the Gospel.
Always maintain an eternal perspective! Allow this to be an anchor for how you live your life and minister to others. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you keep the reality of eternity in your heart, as it says in Ecclesiastes 3.
