Are you like Jason Bourne?
You may have seen the first of the Jason Bourne movies, “The Bourne Identity,” that came out in 2002. It’s the story of a man rescued by an Italian fishing boat who suffers from total amnesia, without identity or background - except for a range of extraordinary talents, who sets out on a desperate search to discover who he really is, and why bad things are happening to him.
Sound familiar?
Do you know who you are? We all suffer from what I would call “spiritual amnesia.” Moses did. God saw him one way and Moses kept deflecting until he started to believe in who he was. David discovered his identity, then let fear overtake him and slipped back into his false identity and his men wanted to kill him. Then he was reminded of who he was and great things happened.
So here’s the question of the day for you to ponder:
Who are you, and what is your TRUE identity?
I’m not referring to you being a husband or wife, mother or father, or whatever your occupation you have. Those are titles and the things we do.
Have you ever heard the voice of God tell you exactly who you are and the name He has for you?
The great “I AM” knows you by name and has a unique identity for you. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Do you know your identity in Christ and who He says you are? If your heart is yearning for more, keep reading.
What if I told you that all human conflict originates from fear, and fear originates from a false view of God, ourselves, and others? Until we exchange what’s false for what’s real, we will never experience the true freedom of our identity in Christ.
Think about it this way:
Identity drives everything about who we are and how we respond to life situations and circumstances.
It flows like this:
IDENTITY (Believing WHO we are) which drives our . . .
THOUGHTS (What we think about God, self and others) which then drives our . . .
EMOTIONS (What these thoughts cause us to feel about God, self and others) which ultimately drives our . . .
RESPONSES (to God, self and others.)
The Accuser knows this path all too well. He perfected it. If he can speak lies to us, no matter how subtle they are, - and if we believe them, we will construct our own false identity without even knowing it’s taking place. Why? Because we are convinced it’s a “normal” process. But, in the absence of truth about ourselves, we construct our own narrative about God, self and others to make sense of our world. Hence, our worldview.
Where do these voices in our heads come from?
The Accuser. He whispers them at us constantly about our view of ourself, God and others. Here are just a few:
I didn’t do it right.
I need to do better.
I need to try harder.
I don’t measure up.
I am not enough.
I have to be perfect.
My life is harder than anyone else.
If I ignore it, it will go away.
I’m just (fill in the blank)
I don’t have a choice.
My worth is determined by my work
There is something inherently wrong with me.
When I achieve “X”, THEN I will be happy
Others have it together. I don’t.
No amount of Bible knowledge, spiritualizing every situation, attending church, serving, or giving, makes it go away. Ever thought or heard someone say, “If you just . . . “ Or, “You should . . . “??
Spoiler alert: These don’t work. Period.
We humans try to “fix ourselves” because we look around and compare our lifestyle and where we are “supposed” to be, to others. It just gets worse from there. (Remember the cycle? Identity > thoughts > emotions > responses). What to we end up doing?
We turn to idols, and self-medication to ease or forget our pain, and it never stops. It may stop for awhile, but until we get to the root of it all - our identity and how the Father sees us, we are all prodigal children left alone to figure this life out and make sense of it. Meanwhile the Accuser smiles, and laughs, and roams the world seeking the next unsuspecting believer he can devour. He loves destroying families, marriages and anyone who he can convince of their false identity.
Jason Bourne needed help to come out of his amnesia. We also need help to come out of our “spiritual amnesia.” Where is one place you can turn?
Recently I came across this guy named Jamie Winship and listened to Part 1 of a talk he gave to a group of middle schoolers at a Christian camp. My heart was captivated when he began telling God stories of people who heard Jesus’ voice telling them who they were and the AMAZING things that started to happen in their life. Take a listen. I dare you. Your life just may not be the same. If your heart wants more, there’s also Part 2 Part 3 and Part 4 you can listen to.
Or - get a copy of his recently released book:
LIVING FEARLESS
Exchanging the lies of the world for the liberating truth of God.
(Clink here to purchase a copy)
Beloved Sons and Daughters of the Most High King! . . .
We do NOT need to live in mediocrity and misery anymore - floundering, and full of doubt about who we are and how we relate to God and others.
Guess what? There is hope!
Aren’t you tired of the lies? Aren’t you tired of pleasing people including God? Aren’t you tired of performing or achieving to discover your worth?
Get a copy of Jamie’s book. It’s an easy read and will feed your soul in a way you may have never experienced before.
He has more material on his website. I am personally taking a deeper dive myself into this identity exchange content. My heart wants more. I will hit the ground diving deeper into my heart in 2023. I just signed up for Jamie’s 8-module, in-depth course called, “Becoming What You Believe.”
Let’s do this! Let’s listen to the voice of God and not the Accuser and breakout of our spiritual amnesia together and see what God does! Amen?!
