2 Corinthians 6:18, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Think

Today, it seems as if we wear so many labels – societally, economically, politically, and even spiritually. Depending on the situation or setting, we put on invisible garments to identify who we are and what we stand for. Though these labels may help describe something we believe in or a role that we fill, they fall short of describing who we really are. We often find ourselves in an identity crisis. As we heard Tony Stark say in Spiderman this past Sunday: "If you're nothing without the suit...then you shouldn't have it." In other words, it's who we are on the inside that really defines us. And who are we? At our very core, we are uniquely created by God for a purpose. But not only that, we were created to be in a relationship with him! We can't truly know ourselves until we truly know God. He is the one who helps us to see our full identity, our full purpose, our full value. When you strip away all the labels, who are you really? Apart from title, occupation, or position, what is the source of your strength and purpose? It's simple: Jesus. Our total identity should be wrapped up in him. There's no one who knows you better and no one who loves you more. So, turn to God. Ask him to show you who you really are and experience the love of a father who believes in you! He will help you see who you were created to be!

Act

1 John 3:1 is a great reminder of who and whose you truly are: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" Personalize, memorize, and meditate on this verse. And, take heart! You are the child of a King!

Pray

Dear Lord, thank you for calling me your child and lavishing your love upon me. Help me to remove any labels that do not reflect who I am in you. And guide me so that I can bring honor to your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.