Light Shine Bright: Identity
By Kerry Cramton
Have you ever felt called to do something greater, but fear and doubt sets in, or past failures make you feel unqualified and insignificant? Do you know that Jesus isn’t looking for perfection, He is looking for a vessel to pour out His anointing on? In your weakness you will find His strength.
“Jesus isn’t looking for perfection, He is looking for a vessel to pour out His anointing on? In your weakness you will find His strength.”
I think about the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. How Jesus saw her, not for her faults, and he didn’t come to condemn her. Yet, Jesus brought her hope. She said, “He knew everything I ever did.” (John 4:29) If you have read the story you will see she had multiple partners and I’m sure a laundry list of things she wished Jesus the Messiah didn’t know about her. But when she realized who Jesus was, she had faith and she left her water pail and went to the city to tell the people about the Messiah. I believe she must have felt His grace and love just being in His presence. She left the well wanting to walk away from her past and walk closer to Jesus. She wanted the living water that He spoke of and how she would never thirst again.
In the book of John, Jesus says, “A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the truth worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23) There is such freedom in what only the blood of Jesus can do. He washes us white as snow and longs to redeem every part of our soul. When we give our lives to Jesus, He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us maneuver through this fallen world.
2 Timothy 4:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
He has given us these gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit; Power, Love, and Self-control. The Holy Spirit works through us! When we surrender our lives to Jesus, the fears that we once knew have to flee. We have a new identity in Jesus Christ our Lord and a Savior who saves us from the pits of death and resurrects us to have a new life in Him! We have to stand boldly on the truth in His word!
He told the Samaritan woman,“but whoever takes a drink of the (living) water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty anymore, but the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto eternal life.” (John 4:14).
These words should make you, just like the Samaritan woman, realize that THIS, THIS is the living water that you crave! You will never thirst again from this unfulfilling well of the world, this life was meant for more and you should be ready to fight for your true identity in Christ. When your identity in Christ takes root, it is one of purpose, accuracy, destiny, fearlessness. I don’t know about you, but when I read the truth, a peace comes over me. I want to do the best for God every day to glorify Him. I know He has enough grace for me every single day because He says it in His word.
I love what the apostle Paul wrote, (1 Corinthians 15:9-10) “For I am the least [worthy]of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I once wronged and pursued and molested the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not for nothing (fruitless, and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
I will choose not to dwell on the past and I certainly will trust Him to not be anxious about the future. He says that through His Spirit; Power, Love, and Self Control are given to me! This is an eternal promise! Step out and trust that Jesus who created you, has enough grace for you today. He calls you His daughter. He sees the destiny for your life and knows what is best for you! Be bold, courageous and just trust Him to do a work in you!