Who am I?

In a world experiencing deep division and uncertainty, many people are struggling with a fundamental question: Who am I? This isn't just a national crisis of identity—it's personal. People everywhere are wrestling with who they truly are versus who they've been told they should be.

The story of Gideon offers profound insights into this struggle. Before becoming a judge who led Israel through 40 years of peace, Gideon was hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat to keep it from the Midianites. The Israelites had been suffering under Midianite oppression for seven years, forced to hide in caves and mountains while their enemies plundered their harvests and destroyed their livelihoods.

When God Calls You Something You Don't Feel

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, the greeting was startling: "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12).

Gideon's response reveals the disconnect between how God saw him and how he saw himself. "Pardon me?" he essentially replied. "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? Where are the wonders our ancestors told us about? The Lord has abandoned us."

Have you ever felt this way? When life keeps knocking you down, when every step forward seems followed by two steps back, it's easy to question God's presence and promises.

But notice what happened next. The Lord turned to Gideon and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:14).

Gideon's response again: "Pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

Sometimes our problems look bigger than God. We forget His promises when we're in desperate situations.

How Do We Lose Our Identity?

The Israelites found themselves in this mess because they had made poor choices. They began serving Canaanite gods, creating sacred poles for worship, abandoning their true identity as God's chosen people.

How does someone go from following the Lord to outright rebellion? The answers are sobering:

Slowly, through small compromises - A little compromise here, a little there, and before you know it, you're in deep.
Distraction - We live in an age of infinite distractions pulling our focus away from what matters most.
Loss of hope - When circumstances overwhelm us, hope can fade.
Taking our eyes off Jesus - The moment we stop looking to Him, we start sinking.
Idols - Money, fame, success, even ourselves—America is full of modern idols we don't always recognize.
Pride - Thinking we can handle things on our own without God's help.
Forgetting God's promises - Perhaps the most dangerous of all.

The reality is that falling away doesn't usually happen overnight. It's incremental. It starts with thinking, "I'll just do this one thing my way," and before long, we've planted seeds that will sprout painful consequences in season.

For those who have walked away from God and tried to return, the journey back can feel impossibly heavy. But here's the beautiful truth: God is always ready to embrace us again. The challenge is that the bad seeds we planted while away still sprout, even as we're planting new, good seeds. This creates a difficult season where we're dealing with past consequences while trying to walk forward in faith.

Who You Really Are

So who are you, really? Scripture gives us five powerful truths about our identity in Christ:

1. You Have a New Identity and Purpose

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are God's masterpiece, His workmanship, created to do good works He prepared in advance for you. He's still working on you, refining you to become more like Him.

2. You Have Forgiveness and Freedom

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Condemnation comes from the accuser, but conviction comes from God to get us back on track. You have been rescued from darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light, where you have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

3. You Have Belonging and Sonship

You are a child of God. An heir. A co-heir with Christ. You belong to Him. This isn't just positional—it's relational. You are holy and dearly loved.

4. You Are Being Transformed

As God's chosen people, we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession.

5. You Have Unity

In Christ, the dividing walls come down. We are all one in Him.

Dealing with Triggers and Past Trauma

Even as believers who have been sanctified, our minds can still be triggered by past traumas. A difficult divorce, a painful childhood, old wounds that were never properly healed—these can temporarily overshadow our identity in Christ.

But here's the crucial truth: those traumas aren't who you are. Those past hurts don't define you. When triggers happen, ask God, "Where are you in this? I am angry right now. I am fearful right now. Lord, where are you? Will you heal me? Will you bring a peace beyond understanding?"

God wants to heal those deep wounds. His word promises it.

Don't Forget What You Look Like

James 1:23-24 warns about being like someone who looks at themselves in a mirror and immediately forgets what they look like. The Word of God is our reminder of who we truly are.

The Israelites quickly forgot God's promises. In our fast-paced, distraction-filled world, we can do the same. But we must remember: we are more than conquerors through Christ.

When you look in the mirror, don't see your past failures, your current struggles, or your chronic pain. Don't see your anger, your sin, or your trauma. See what God sees: His beloved child, forgiven, free, and being transformed into the image of His Son.

You are not your past. You are not your pain. You are not your mistakes.

You are His.

And that changes everything.