Who Am I?

Their first baby is due next spring.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby will have no idea who he or she is for a long time.

It will know very little. Except who gives it food. Who gives it comfort. Who keeps it warm and dry.

And that will be perfectly enough.

What about you? How much do you think you need to know to be enough?

It’s a lot less than you think.

What We Don’t Know

Sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us. An unhealthy work environment. A toxic church leader. Or even a spoiled chicken sandwich.

Knowledge can be power.

But when we think we don’t know enough to be a “good” Christian? Or we don’t know enough to deserve God’s love? Or to share His good news with others?

We’re misguided.

We do know enough already.

Remember how little the original apostles knew. They misunderstood Jesus at every turn. Not just in the little things, but in the overall picture.

Yet even with their minimal knowledge, they were still empowered to spread the gospel all around the world.

And for those who thought they did know many things? It filled them with pride.

“But this knowledge only fills people with pride. It is love that helps the church grow stronger.”
1 Corinthians 8:1 (ERV)

And this:

“Those who think they know something do not yet know anything as they should.”
1 Corinthians 8:2 (ERV)

It’s Not What WE Know

It’s not just our own knowledge that gets us out of tight spots or into healthy places.

It’s the Lord’s knowledge through us.

“Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! Run from evil!”
Proverbs 3:5-7 (The Message)

As followers of Christ, we can rely on His knowledge to lead us into good things.

Just as a baby doesn’t have to understand that he’s royalty in order to be royalty, neither do we have to understand every intricate working of the kingdom in order to be children of the King.

And to have access to His treasures.

We Know Enough

We already know enough to be used by God.

We already know enough:

• To help our sister
• To mentor our child
• To love our enemy
• To serve our neighbor
• To praise our God

We know enough to run to Jesus and learn from Him.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29 (ESV)

We don’t have to wait to know more. 

Let’s use what we already know as we keep learning more. (Acts 19:2-6).

Identify with Royalty

Who we are is not dependent on what we know, but on Whose we are (2 Timothy 1:9). We can cry, “Abba! Father!” because we have been adopted as daughters and sons (Romans 8:15-16).

Our identity in Christ is solid, regardless of whether we can recite all 66 books of the Bible or if we need the index to find Genesis.

We can rest from striving to know it all.

We can find freedom in living out our true identity.

The royal baby next year won’t understand for years that he or she is an heir to a rich inheritance. But as it grows in understanding, it can appreciate and be empowered by its position.

So it is with us.

We can’t yet grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Christ’s love for us (Ephesians 3:18).

Christ’s love surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19).

But the more we grow into our identity, the more aware we are of the benefits of our birthright.

• We are called (2 Timothy 1:9).
• We are free (Galatians 5:1).
• We are royalty (1 Peter 2:9).

Do you typically think, “I don’t know enough yet to do this or try that”? Or do you forge ahead anyway? 

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Here’s a beautiful new song by Lauren Daigle—“You Say“—to remind you of who you are.

I love to listen to a good podcast. It’s a great way to occupy my mind when my hands are busy cleaning the kitchen or folding laundry. My favorites are the conversations with women like me who are raising families and doing amazing things for the kingdom, whether it’s writing, speaking, building up a new business. I’m usually inspired and encouraged by these women and their stories of getting the work done!

Usually.

If I’m totally honest, sometimes I listen to these interviews and just feel tired. How in the world do they have time to do this AND that?! Even more, why am I not accomplishing as much?

Stop Comparing

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus has returned from death and is preparing his disciples to continue ministry without him. He takes Peter aside for some one on one time.

“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’” (John 21:20-22)

In other words, Peter (Jaime!) mind your own business!

When I start playing the comparison game, it’s helpful to remember who I am in Christ and what he’s called me to do.

A branch in the Vine…a promise of Fruit

Ephesians 2:10 tells us,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

I love knowing that I was made with a purpose in mind! God has prepared things for me to do! But how do I know I’m living that purpose?

Jesus told his disciples,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NIV)

Another passage that helps me with this visual is Psalm 1:1-3:

“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”

Fruit takes a full year to go from seed to harvest, but every season is a part of the process. So even when it’s quiet in my world and it doesn’t seem like I’m doing anything, I can rest in knowing that I am a branch, connected to Christ, and fruit will come.

In today’s post we’ll be looking at what it means to be a child of God and a fellow heir with Christ.

As a child in Sunday school, one of the first things I remember learning was that I was a child of God. I have sweet memories of the way that knowledge made me feel. 

A mighty God who created the whole universe loved me? The One who created the sky, the birds and trees, and everything I could see was my Heavenly Father?

It was a pretty incredible realization. And it still is!

We know that God has only one begotten son, Jesus. Hence when a person becomes a Christian, God adopts them into His family (Galatians 4:4-5). We then become the Father’s child and a co-heir with Jesus, joining Christ in receiving all that has been promised as His inheritance. (Galatians 4:7)

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17)

Being God’s Child

It can sometimes be difficult for people who didn’t have a good childhood or relationship with their earthly father to be comfortable with being a “child” of God. Maybe you’re in that position. Perhaps this part of your spiritual identity is hard to enjoy.

Or maybe, like me, the being God’s child is accompanied by sweet memories of feeling loved in your growing up years. 

Either way, I promise this:  being a child of God carries much promise, joy, and hope. It is a beautiful thing! 

Regardless of earthly familial relationships, this heavenly bond is an example of what a good parent and child relationship should be. 

In God’s perfect fathering we see that our Good Father:

• Loves us! (John 3:16)
• Seeks us out. (Luke 19:10)
• Accepts us. (Romans 10:9-13)
• Disciplines us when we need correction. (Hebrews 12:6)
• Guides us. (Proverbs 3:6)
• Matures us to be more like Jesus. (Ehpesians 4:13-15)

Being God’s Child Changes Our View

Having a loving Father as our authority reminds us to obey. Today looks different when we remember that we’re accountable to God for our actions. 

We learn better than to look to this world for hope or fulfillment – instead, we know to look to God.

We can be encouraged to take care of ourselves since we know we are valued because our Father says we are! (Ephesians 2:20).  loved by my Father.

We view trials, tests, difficulties of life differently because we can know they are not because we have an unloving, cruel God. Instead, hardships are a fact of life in a fallen world; we experience them with a loving Father beside us, helping us and guiding us through. Trials can wean us from love for this world and ready us for an eternity with God in heaven!

Being co-heirs with Christ offers us the hope a rich, spiritual inheritance and the hope of heaven. Our eternity is secured by God’s gift: Jesus!

How does being God’s child change your view today? Do you have any memories or stories about being God’s child? Share your thoughts on this post in the comments.

Ali