20 min meditation to knowing your identity in Christ
This article is a meditation exercise to help you understand deeply who you are in Christ; your inherent dignity and worth. It will take a little time, but it is well worth it! I encourage you to do it when you can devote 20-30 minutes to it, followed by 10-15 minutes to journal and reflect on it. It’s best to pause after each sentence and do your best to engage all five senses.
Imagine this:
Jesus wants to show you something.
Visualize yourself as a 3-5-year-old child.
You are standing on the lush green hillside overlooking the edge of a cliff, down into a green lush valley, with lush trees, a beautiful life-giving creek, and the most amazing sunset. There is a gentle breeze of fresh salty air.
Jesus stands beside you on the cliff, wearing his crown, robe, and sandals, and holding a royal scepter.
In his other hand and with the most gentle love and the strength of a father, he holds your little hand. (Can you see it? Can you feel his love and his mighty presence?)
Together, you overlook the hill country. He says, “Son/Daughter, (Pause) you are my child, and I love you.” (Pause and soak it in)
“You see all of this land before you? It is yours. Everything that is mine is yours. As far as the eye can see to the East and to the West; it is yours.”
Next, Jesus gets down on one knee and gently turns you to look at him. He looks into your eyes and says, “Child of mine, you are ready for this? I have these gifts for you.”
He reaches into his bag, pulls out your crown, and places it on your head. (What does your crown look like? How does it feel?) (Stay with it a minute.)
Then he reaches into his bag and hands you your robe. (What does your robe look like? What color and texture it si?)
Next, he reaches in and pulls out your sandals. (What do your sandals look like?)
Finally, he reaches in and pulls out your scepter. (What does your scepter look like?)
He says, “Son/daughter, all of my power and authority is given to you. Everything I have, you have access to – you have access too. I am your Father. (Pause) I am also a King. The King of the Universe, and YOU, you are my child. Thus making you royalty. Look behind you, my son/daughter. See the army as far as the eye can see to the east and to the west, as well as length and depth. See the angels as numerous as the stars. They are your army, fighting for you and going before you. They are backing you.
My child. This is WHO you are! This is what it means to have your identity in me. To be royalty of the one True King. Never again wonder who you are, who you belong to, or how you fit in. Never again feel lost or afraid. You are not alone. I am with you – they are with you; the Holy Spirit is within you. Never again walk in fear but in bravery and boldness. I am with you always even until the end of time.
I desire to walk with you into your past wounds and for you to take me and all this power and authority with you. I am yours, and you are mine.
I long for you to stand in the present in love, acceptance, and confidence. I desire to go with you into the future, with boldness and courage. Fear not my child; I am always with you until the end of time. This is your identity in Christ. You are my beloved.
Understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential to your self-acceptance, inner healing, and peace and joy in life. This flows into all areas of living: our career success, how we show up as a spouse/mother/father/friend. Living a victorious Christian Life starts with knowing our true belovedness in God. It is not earned. It is given. It is not merited; it is inherited.
The Bible refers to us as saints, holy ones, and children of the most high God, far more than it refers to us as sinners. There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven; we must only bring it to Jesus. The only unforgiven sin is the unconfessed sin.
A proper self-image is not thinking more highly or lowly of ourselves than we ought, it’s simply seeing ourselves the way God sees us. This is what it means to have a Biblical self-image!
All of us have layers of fear around the “real us.” These are defense mechanisms. Let’s strip away the defense mechanisms by allowing ourselves to see ourselves the way God sees us. In humility take to confession our sins and be freed to be the saints we are called to be. External sins (things we can see) are often the most embarrassing, but internal sins are just as harmful. So let’s conquer our fears and renew our minds by taking all our sins to confession, throwing away our old self-image, and replacing it with the way Christ sees us. He makes all things new!
