A healthy identity

published on Friday, 29 November 2019 by Matthias Altwegg

Recently I talked to a man who was a pastor for years but now runs a practice for life and health counselling and coaching. He said that in his counselling sessions he rarely meets people who have an anchored identity in Christ and live accordingly, although he counsels a lot of Christians. He sees this as the main cause of many problems. He criticises that the process towards a healthy identity hardly takes place in our congregations. Such statements make me think.

Our annual theme "Welcome Home" has a lot to do with identity. Through faith in Jesus Christ we may rightly call ourselves "daughter or son of the Father in heaven" (John 1:12). We are members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19). Being a Christian is not defined by observing laws and orders, but by belonging to the family of God. Whoever has found a home with God and has taken the position as a son or daughter of God, lives refreshingly differently. It is the basis for being changed into the image of God. Whoever knows who he or she is in Christ has many advantages:

he/she no longer has to put himself/herself in the centre of attention in order to get recognition. This is because it is already there, legitimised from the highest level.
he/she no longer has to fight for his/her rights, but can serve others and even let himself/herself be taken advantage of in between.
he/she no longer has to take, but can be nurturing for others.
he/she can put away the fear of man, because fear is not in love.
he/she does not experience feelings of inferiority because he/she does not belong in a group.
he/she doesn't have to do anything out of peer pressure that he/she doesn't want to do because he/she is at rest within himself/herself.
he/she is a very attractive person to deal with.

And once again I say it to us: "But you are different, because you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood, God's holy people, his personal possession. So you are a living example of God's goodness, for he has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"(1 Peter 2:9). This truth cannot be shaken. Let us take it deep into our hearts!

Foreword from the seetal chile Poscht 12/19

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Isabelle Künzli (@guest_14)

30 November 2019 13:56

#14

How true. And yet it's good to hear it again and again. It also takes away a lot of stress. No comparing, simply being in the presence of God. 🙂

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Anne Gröber (@guest_26)

5 April 2020 9:22

#26

I wonder how I came to live my identity solely out of God. We are so influenced by this world. Maybe right now this time (Corona crisis) is also a chance to find a step closer to this God-centred identity. I wish for myself and for all of us that I recognise the lies of Satan that prevent me from entering into the true identity. Dear Matthias, thank you for your thoughts.

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