Identity in Christ – Day One

by Deb Weakly

Because of who you are in Christ, you are free!

“I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for You, I am free!” -Desperation Band

1. Call your prayer partner for your 10-minute prayer call! What a gift it is to have a friend to pray with! If you are having continual difficulty connecting with your prayer partner, pray and ask God for wisdom about what to do. If you are feeling that she is no longer interested in praying together, call her and ask her about it. She may have a good reason for being unable to pray. Always try to assume the best! If she says that she can’t be your prayer partner right now, pray and ask God to bring you someone else. Be on the lookout for her! God will bring her to you!

Done:______

2.Take the time and start your day with a special quiet time of prayer, Scripture reading and listening for the Lord to speak to your heart. Ask the Lord to speak to you specifically about your identity in Christ this week. Also, take the time to light a candle, and get something delicious to sip during your quiet time today. :)

3. Read Galatians 5:1-15. Write verse 1  in your journal.

I absolutely love being with young mommies! It reminds me of the days when my children were little, and I was a young mom myself. When I look back, I remember sweet, precious times as a family, and all of the goodness and blessings that come from having young children in my home.

Sadly, I also remember many times when I was discouraged, anxious, and fearful. There were frequent  times in my life where I have suffered from what the Bible calls, “The fear of man that brings a snare.” Proverbs 29:25. This fear of man led me to compare myself and my children to other moms I knew who seemed to have it all together, and had families who appeared perfect, at least from the outside. I worried too much about what other people thought about my parenting and listened to their advice instead of asking God and my husband. I allowed myself to worry and be stressed out because I didn’t realize that I was free! Free to be the mom God has called me to be, walking out His own particular plan for my family.

God’s desire for you is to live in freedom, trusting Him to give you wisdom and help for your family. He doesn’t like it when we compare ourselves to one another. He wants us to trust Him with our particular family, our individual puzzle. In fact, God says:

“Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.”  Galatians 6:4 TLB

My hearts desire is to encourage you, dear reader, and to tell you that because of who you are in Christ, you are free! You are free to live your lives in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, making decisions that reflect God’s will for your family. Your family doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. In fact, there is freedom in knowing that God knows what’s best for your family, and in His infinite wisdom, He gave your children the perfect mom for them- YOU!

Stop and think about that for a minute… YOU are the mom that the God of heaven chose to raise up those little eternal souls living  in your home.

This one fact should make you feel free to be empowered and confident knowing that God knows you and your family best, and He promises to help you, give you wisdom and the freedom to raise those little gifts in the way He has chosen, which is the best way for them. The key to living your life in freedom is not to look around at everyone else, but to “fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.”Hebrews 12:2.

My charge to you is to pretend you are a champion race horse running the race of his life- the Kentucky Derby! Before your race started, the jockey had the foresight to place blinkers (blinders) around your eyes, so that you won’t be looking around at the other horses, or be distracted while you are running. Because of these blinkers, you can run as fast as you can, only looking forward until you reach the finish line.

Don’t focus on other moms or their opinions, focus on Christ and His personal plan for your family! Run your race. Run it well, and fix your eyes on Jesus, remembering that you are free!!

4. Questions to ponder:

– Pray and ask the Lord to help you to identify any area that you are allowing yourself to be affected by peer pressure, or are coveting in someone else’s family. Write this in your journal and pray to the Lord for forgiveness and help to overcome these areas.

-Begin with the end in mind. Write a vision statement of what you see God preparing your family for. What can you do now to help them be ready? What would your faith look like if you were living in this belief? What ways should you treat them differently to help them grow in this vision? What things or activities can you invest your time and resources in to help prepare or inspire them?

For example,  I would have said- “I would treat my family like God is going to do mighty things through them for His kingdom. I would invest in lots of time in scripture, Bible story books, Bible memory, worship, and service to others. My faith would be stronger because I would know that God is there and my Helper! I would pray harder not to listen to the voices telling me that I can’t do this!” I did do this exercise when my children were little and tried to begin with the end in mind. The Lord helped me in more ways than I can count, but I still wish I would have trusted Him even more! Trust Him today! :)

 

5. Identity in Christ Faith Filled Idea #1:

– Write Galatians 5:1 on 3 sticky notes and put one in your car, on your bathroom mirror, and at your kitchen sink.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”


Identity in Christ – Day Two

by Deb Weakly

Because of who you are in Christ, you are an Overcomer!

1. Take some time this morning to meet with your precious Savior. Spend a moment praising Jesus for His love for you. As you read His Word, ask Him to speak to your heart about how much He loves you. Pray and ask Jesus to help you to understand “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” and that you would “know this love that surpasses knowledge!” Pray expectantly, knowing that He hears your prayers and longs to show you His love!

2. Read 1 John 4:1-21.  Write verse 4 in your journal.

During the time of this writing, in the beginning stages of the Help Club for Moms, I have found myself enduring many difficulties and engaged in battles of many shapes and forms, all of which leave me feeling extremely discouraged. I have even found myself wondering if I am indeed capable, even godly enough to embark on such an adventure and ministry as the one we are starting to launch.

It’s as if the enemy of my soul wants me to quit and is showing me how much I have failed and how I am often so weak at times. I seem to feel a bit more incompetent these days, and am painfully aware of my own sin and inadequacies as a Christian woman, wife, mother, and friend.  There are many days where I tend to get tunnel vision- where all I can see are my difficulties and wonder how on earth am I going to do this, and who do I think I am that God can use me?

It is during these times that I will cry out to Jesus, and He will “gather me in His arms” (Isaiah 40:11) and help me to keep going, one day at a time, one encouragement at a time. For instance, recently my husband gently reminded me that he thinks that I am in a huge spiritual battle and that God is teaching me to rely on Him to write this curriculum and to encourage the sweet women He has placed in my life. He said that any time we are taking ground for the Lord, Satan is right there, doing what he can to discourage us and to make us quit.

My husband’s encouragement caused me to pray even harder and to pray for you, my dear reader, whom I am writing for, as you are taking ground for God in your own life. I am sure the devil is against you and tempting you to give up. Satan wants you to give up. Don’t give up! Remember who you are in Christ!  Today’s verse reminds us that when we are in Christ, we are “overcomers!” He (Jesus) who is in us is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world.

Part of your wonderful identity in Christ is that of an overcomer!

I found a great definition for the term “overcomer” at gotquestions.org. It says:

“Overcomers are followers of Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world’s system. An overcomer is not sinless but holds fast to faith in Christ until the end. He does not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate. Overcoming requires complete dependence upon God for direction, purpose, fulfillment, and strength to follow His plan for our lives.”

Because of Jesus living inside of us and giving us His strength and power, we can live radically different lives for Him. We are no longer weak and powerless; we are strong even when we are weak because it is then that He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

My prayer is that these words will encourage you today, dear friend and that you will hold onto the truth that, because of Jesus, you can overcome. You are no longer weak. You can accomplish all that the Father has called you to do, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Questions to ponder:

-Pray and ask God to show you in which areas you are believing lies from the devil. Write them in your journal, and then write out a prayer of surrender, giving these areas to God, and trusting Him to work them out for you.

For example: I would write, ” Lord,  I have been believing the lies that say that I am not strong enough, not equipped, and too weak to do what God has called me to do- The Help Club for Moms.” Then I would write, “Lord, thank you that by the power of the Holy Spirit I am more than a conqueror, and I am able to accomplish all that the Lord has called me to do! Thank you, God, that when I am weak, I am strong; and it’s then that Christ’s power can rest on me!”

 

4. Identity in Christ Faith Filled idea # 2: Today’s image for the devotion is called “In the Wilderness” by Ron Di Cianni. This painting hangs above my fireplace and serves as a reminder to me of Jesus’s time in the wilderness, and how He overcame the devil. He overcame him with fasting, prayer, and the Word of God!

We also can have victory over the forces of darkness when we speak, meditate on, and memorize the scriptures.

When you are in the middle of trials or testing, be sure that you stay in the Word of God as much as possible. Pray and ask the Lord to help you, and to protect you and your family from Satan.

This week, pray and ask God for three verses to help you stay strong during times of testing and record them on your phone.  Play them over and over until you feel stronger. Let your children help you and talk to them about counteracting Satan with the Word of God! Done:______

Some of my favorites are:

– Lord, thank you that- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

– Today, I declare that-“… the joy of the Lord is [my] strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.

– God, I believe your Word when it tells me to-“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen [my] heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalm 31:24.

–  Thank you, God, that- “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19.

– Lord, today I believe-“[You Lord are] with me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Psalm 118:6.

-Thank you, Jesus, that Your Word says- “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.

-Thank you, God, that- “[Your] grace is sufficient for [me], for [Your] power is made perfect in [my] weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me!”2 Corinthians 12:9.

-God, I claim Your promise today that says- “[I am] from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in [me] is greater than the one who is in the world!” 1 John 4:4.

(I emphasized some of the verses with personal pronouns so you can personalize the verses on your recording, and I added words before the verses to help make your recordings more meaningful).


Identity in Christ – Day Three

by Leslie Leonard

“No matter what they say, or what you think you are; the day you called His name, He made you…flawless.”- Mercy Me

 

1. It’s time to meet with your Beloved, your Savior and the Lover of your soul! Come to Him today as you would want your children to come to you… accepted and loved for who you are.

2. Read this beautiful passage in Song of Solomon 4:7 and write it in your journal. Ponder these great words that your God says about you. Ask Jesus to speak to your heart today about His great love for you and the truth about who you are because of Christ!

“You are altogether beautiful, my love; There is no flaw in you.”

Because of who you are in Christ, you are flawless.

I struggle. In all aspects of my life, I struggle. As a wife, a mother, and as myself, I would spend hours worrying if I am doing a good enough job with anything in my life.  I would be overcome with guilt at the things that I did not accomplish during the day with my family. Do I show my children enough love? How can I possibly be a good mom?

In addition to these feelings of inadequacy with my family, I also struggled deeply because of a very violent and traumatic act that happened to me in my early 20’s. I felt guilty. Dirty. I felt my past actions made me unworthy of God’s love.  I didn’t really believe that God loved me. This was before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was during this time I had a large hole in my life that I filled with alcohol and inappropriate relationships.

Shame and guilt were my constant companions.

Even after I became a believer, I still was shackled.

But God saw me. He saw my pain and knew I needed encouragement.

God has a way of working through the body of Christ, and bringing encouraging people into your life at just the right time. My right time was about a year ago, at the gym. I sought out a personal trainer with hopes of becoming more healthy and strong, and I got an ambassador for Christ who started speaking truth about Christ’s love for me.

This trainer literally walked into my life and started to demand that I see myself the way God sees me. During each session, the encouragement I received would open my eyes and made me realize that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I was and am worthy of everything God has in store for me.

Friends, I could not even look in the mirror without feeling shameful about my past. I started to pray that God would work a miracle in my life.

I realized one day that I had bought into all the lies about myself that Satan had been selling me- hook, line, and sinker.  I prayed for God to help me see myself through his eyes. I prayed to let go of all the strongholds that I had in my life, some of which had been with me for most of my adult life.

I began to meditate on God’s word and realized that I had a self-identity built on lies and deception. I came to realize without a doubt that Jesus went to the cross to take away my sin and that God has chosen to forget my sin.

If Jesus had died to save me and forgive my sins and chose to forget my sin, why was I holding onto it so tightly?

From that moment on, I chose to identify myself through Jesus Christ. I am his.

My dear friend, if I were there with you, I would wish to hold your hand, pray with you, and encourage you to do two things: see yourself the way God sees you, and make sure you have godly, like-minded friends in your life. These two positive changes will truly bless you and help you to live the life that God has for you.

First, abandon any image of yourself that is not from God.

Stop accepting what others have said about you, labeled you and defined you. Start believing what God says about you; that He is pleased with how He created you and that only God defines you.  2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

Next, surround yourself with like-minded women.

I cannot stress this enough. I spent so much time as a “Lone Ranger Christian”. I thought I could do it all alone. This is not true. We are called to fellowship with one another. Ask God to bring someone into your life, to be a friend. Be prepared for it to show up in the strangest of circumstances. Also, remember to spend time in God’s word. Get to know him. He will reveal his will to you when you take the time to study and meditate.

Please know that all of us at the Help Club for Moms are praying for you and thank the Lord for bringing you to our community. We pray that God will reveal to you what He wants to teach you about your identity in Him and help you to walk out that identity in freedom and grace.

Love, Leslie

3. Questions to ponder: Write the answers to these questions in your journal.

1. What are you actively doing to grow your female relationships?

2. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind someone who might need a friend right now.

4. Identity in Christ Faith-Filled Idea#3:

God wants us to personalize or “monogram” his word into our very being. To write it on our hearts and make it permanent.
Grab a dry erase marker and the list of verses below. Insert your name into the verse and write in on your bathroom mirror. This will be a visual first thing when you wake up and right before you go to bed. Know that God sees you. He loves you.

Pick a favorite for the week or change it every day. Your choice.

Ephesians 1:4
Philippians 4:13
Romans 5:1
John 1:12
2 Corinthians 5:17
1 John 4:4
Psalm 139:14
Jeremiah 33:3
Song of Solomon 4:7
Psalm 143:8


 

I really love the song Flawless by MercyMe. The chorus states:

” No matter the bumps, No matter the bruises

No matter the scars, Still the truth is

The cross has made, The cross has made you flawless

No matter the hurt, Or how deep the wound is

No matter the pain, Still the truth is

The cross has made, The cross has made you flawless”

Such simple words with an overwhelming truth. You are flawless. No matter what has gone on in the past, Jesus paid the price for our sins. We are made new.