«Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God» (John 1:12, NIV).
If someone asked you who you are, how would you reply? Perhaps you would begin by telling them your name, or sharing information about your family or the place where you were raised. Perhaps you would talk about your profession. And even though all that is part of the answer, it doesn’t really define who you are.
I had the chance to interview Tola Doll Fisher, a Christian writer and editor of Woman Alive magazine. Tola had a definite plan for her life: to get married, have three children before the age of twenty-four and be an excellent professional. However, things did not turn out the way she expected or planned. She got engaged when she was twenty-four, got married at twenty-six, lost her baby at twenty-eight and got a divorce when she was thirty years old. As we talked, Tola reflected on how those changes had affected her sense of identity. Who do you become when things don’t turn out the way you expected? If you are forced to bury a daughter and give up on the dream of growing old with your husband, who are you now?
Tola told me she had recently had to fill out one of those forms where they ask about your marital status. Checking off the word «divorced» was very painful for her. Was this the new label on her forehead? Was her life defined by rejection and failure? In other words, was she a failure? Struggling with these questions, Tola remembered the words of John 1:12: «Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.» «This means that God has given us a way to identify ourselves that does not depend on our circumstances, a relationship, the place where we were born, or our financial status,» says Tola in Still Standing. «If we accept God, we are His heirs…Our true identity is found in him,» she adds.
Since many times we like what the labels on us say, we are not careful to put the entire weight of our identity on Jesus. As long as the labels say «beautiful,» «smart,» «good friend/spouse/mother” we proudly bear them. But when winds threaten to tear them away from us or the enemy tries to paste one on our heart that says «rejected,» then we understand our need for Jesus. Who are you? You are a daughter of God. You are dearly and unconditionally loved by the Creator of the universe.
Dear Father, I am Your daughter.
Please help my life to be anchored by that generous truth.