Where Do I Find My Identity?
Before coming on internship, I had heard people say that your identity is challenged a lot when you move to another country. So I prepared myself a bit, but despite that, it still is challenging to be challenged (who knew?). ;)
Over the past few weeks, I've definitely been pushed out of my comfort zone and realized that in order to really live in the present, I need to make some adjustments to the way I'm thinking, my daily routine, etc... It's easy to get caught up in thinking "When I get home," or "During senior semester back in MN," or even further along. I think it's beneficial to think about the future and the direction I'm headed in and continually bring these things before the Lord. I think that thinking about the future too much can have it's drawbacks, however. When thinking about the future causes me to not live in the present moment I'm in, that's not good. When thinking about living in the moment I'm in, there are some questions that come to my mind. For example, "Why am I here?" and "God, what do want to teach me in this season of my life?" I know that He has me here for specific reasons and I want to take advantage of those and be open to His working in and through me.
A specific thing that He has been teaching me is that my identity should be found completely in Him. It's easy to say that I find my identity completely in Him, but, if I'm honest I can't say I'm completely there yet. I think that realizing where I'm at is a step towards truly finding my identity in Him. Through my time that I've spent with the Lord recently, He's brought to my attention that I have based much of my identity either through perceived ideas that I have about myself, what others have said about me in the past, or even what I think that other people think about me (which I have no real basis for). While I think that others can speak a lot of truth in my life and help me to realize things about myself that I didn't before, it's important to bring these things before the Lord and ask "Is this something that You agree with? Does this line up with who you have created me to be?"
Who I am now and who God has called me to be aren't necessarily the same. When thinking about certain ways I go about things or think about myself and the "way I am," I have to keep in mind that I am being molded into the woman that God is calling me to be. He has a purpose for me, he has given me a specific sets of strengths and talents; some of them I'm currently aware of, some of them I have yet to figure out. A big part of growing and being molded is that I need to be willing and open to being molded.
That's pretty much where I'm at now. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about who I am in Christ and who He is calling me to be. It's definitely not the easiest process because I have to face and correct thinking errors, habits that aren't beneficial to my growth as a follower of Christ, etc. But, it's a good thing and I'm definitely learning a lot! I'm excited to see just how much I grow in the remaining 9 months of my internship here in Marseille.
In His peace and joy,
Claire Faith
A specific thing that He has been teaching me is that my identity should be found completely in Him. It's easy to say that I find my identity completely in Him, but, if I'm honest I can't say I'm completely there yet. I think that realizing where I'm at is a step towards truly finding my identity in Him. Through my time that I've spent with the Lord recently, He's brought to my attention that I have based much of my identity either through perceived ideas that I have about myself, what others have said about me in the past, or even what I think that other people think about me (which I have no real basis for). While I think that others can speak a lot of truth in my life and help me to realize things about myself that I didn't before, it's important to bring these things before the Lord and ask "Is this something that You agree with? Does this line up with who you have created me to be?"
Who I am now and who God has called me to be aren't necessarily the same. When thinking about certain ways I go about things or think about myself and the "way I am," I have to keep in mind that I am being molded into the woman that God is calling me to be. He has a purpose for me, he has given me a specific sets of strengths and talents; some of them I'm currently aware of, some of them I have yet to figure out. A big part of growing and being molded is that I need to be willing and open to being molded.That's pretty much where I'm at now. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about who I am in Christ and who He is calling me to be. It's definitely not the easiest process because I have to face and correct thinking errors, habits that aren't beneficial to my growth as a follower of Christ, etc. But, it's a good thing and I'm definitely learning a lot! I'm excited to see just how much I grow in the remaining 9 months of my internship here in Marseille.
In His peace and joy,
Claire Faith
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