Welcome! If you’re here after reading the Proverbs 31 Encouragement for the Day Devotion, I’m so glad you’re here! If you haven’t read the devotion yet, you can find it here.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably know I’m married to my pastor. One of JP’s most often quoted phrases is, “The truest thing about you is what God says is true.”
Many of us hear this and nod our heads in agreement. But, in the middle of our real life–the one where we work, grocery shop, and navigate family dynamics–we function like the truest thing about us is what we feel is true. Or what others tell us is true. Or what the world screams is true.
But, the truest thing about anything is what God says is true.
Therefore, the truest thing about me and you is what God says is true.
In a culture where being a Christian isn’t always looked upon favorably, we need to cling to this truth, now more than ever.
Several years ago, I was preparing to visit Haiti where I was scheduled to speak at the first-ever Haitian conference for women. At the time, my daughter, Kylie, worked for a mission organization with deep ties to Haiti. Since Kylie had visited the small, impoverished country no less than 20 times, it made sense to pick her brain about what topic might resonate most with the women of Haiti.
Honestly, I feared a blond woman from California could easily miss the mark. After all, my American life seemed so different from their Haitian life.
I started to rattle off a few potential topics, when suddenly, Kylie stopped me. “Go back. What did you say about ‘where you are is not who you are?’ Tell me more about that.”
“Well, we tend to define ourselves by where we are in life. You know, married, single, divorced, rich, poor, that kind of stuff. But, the truth is, where we are is merely a temporary location, but in God’s economy, who we are is permanent. That’s how God wants us to define ourselves.”
Kylie was confident in her assessment, “That’s the topic; that’s the message the women of Haiti need to hear.”
I was stunned, mainly because it’s the message I need to hear, too. I suspect it’s the message you need to hear, as well. This need to define ourselves by God’s definition of who we are is not an American need, or a Haitian need, but a human need.
So, if where we are doesn’t define us, but who we are does define us, and if the truest thing about us is what God says is true, then what does God say is true about who we are?
15 Things God Says About Who You Are as a Christian
- You are loved. (Romans 8:38-39)
- You are secure. God is always with you and will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
- You are known so intimately God knows every hair on your head (Luke 12:7)
- You are completely forgiven(1 John 2:12)
- You are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
- You are under no condemnation (Romans 8:1)
- You are God’s workmanship. God who began a good work in you, will perfect the work He started (Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 1:6)
- You are constantly prayed for. The Holy Spirit prays for you when you are too burdened or confused to utter a prayer (Romans 8:26)
- You are heard. God bends low to hear you when you pray (Psalm 116:2)
- You are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works He prepared in advance for you to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
- You are chosen by God (1 Peter 1:2, 2:9)
- You are marked and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
- You are God’s child. (1 John 3:1)
- You are set free from sin. (Romans 6:18)
- You are meant to live rightly and in holiness (Romans 6:18 )
These things are true, sweet friend. Living in light of these truths can be a game-changer. Today. In your current circumstances.
Remember these truths.
Declare them out loud, over your life. You might want to change the wording from “you are” to “I am” (Try it. It’s powerful!) Remind those you love that these things are true about them, too.
The truest thing about you isn’t what you feel. The truest thing about you isn’t what other people say. The truest thing about you isn’t what your circumstances seem to indicate.
The truest thing about you is what God says is true.
You are loved,
Donna
PS. I’d love to connect with you! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @donnaajones. I know you’ll enjoy listening to the Podcast, “That’s Just What I Needed”. You can also find me on Facebook, @Donna Jones, Speaker & Author, and Twitter: @donnajonesspeak
PSS. I’ll be traveling the county speaking this fall. Find out where I’ll be next by clicking here.
