Live long enough, and you’ll find yourself a label. Some have been placed there by others (names we were called as children, rumors spread about us in high school, praises we’ve received), and some we’ve placed on ourselves (sin patterns we fall into, mantras we repeat in our heads, ideas about who we think we should be). We naturally link ourselves to labels, and those labels have power.
This happens in motherhood too. Instead of viewing ourselves as God does, we tend to latch on to words and phrases that we feel define us as moms. Over time, we start to see ourselves through the lens of “Mary, the angry mom,” or “Julie, the messy person,” or “Kayla, the type A overachiever.” And the more we repeat and believe these labels, the more we live up to them. It’s a vicious cycle. Our identities are linked to our behaviors. Who we are, who we think we are, or who we want to be often determine what we do and how we live.
The power of personal identity is one of the main reasons God spends so much of the Bible telling us who we were created to be, who we are in him, who we are apart from him, and who we become in Christ. It’s why he lays out his design for us as image-bearers, reassures us of his love and faithfulness, and places our belonging firmly in his care.
When we forget who we are in Christ—redeemed, unashamed, clean, full of hope, heirs of wonderful promises with access to God—and we only see ourselves as sinners, mad mamas, trying-so-hard-to-please-him wives, laidback failures, used-to-sleep-around women, always-accomplishing-everything employees, organic-food moms, homeschoolers, and so on, we become ruled by those labels instead of Christ. We live unto them instead of him. From those identities (and we like to wear several at once), we try hard, we hide, we posture, and we sulk away from the Father who loves us.
This is why many New Testament letters repeat the gospel, taking great care to remind us of the wonderful good news that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ, because who we are in him speaks truth over all our other identities. From the basis of who we are in Christ, we love differently, we look out for the interests of others, we stand on truth, we forgive, we submit, and we pursue peace. We are not “angry moms” trying to get our tempers under control—we are redeemed and righteous image-bearers who still wrestle with sin in the process of becoming more like Jesus while we wait for our final restoration.
God tells us who we are in Christ—not because we have arrived today but because we will arrive when we meet Christ. The more we believe that—remembering our identity in Christ today—the more we can cast off lies and walk in the way we’ll walk for eternity.
So the next time you hear someone say, “Just remember your identity in Christ,” you can know what it means: Even though right now it feels like you can’t do anything right—like you are discouraged and tired of the way you continually blow it when you try to do the right thing—sin no longer defines you. Don’t start condemning yourself; remember the whole truth: You are now a saint. You are clean. You are redeemed. You are waiting for the full restoration that is coming. You have the power of the Holy Spirit in you. No one can tarnish that or take it away.
However you think of it, let it be a reminder that you are a new creation in Christ, which is definitely a label worth remembering.
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Hope and Help for Every Single Moment.
A Million Tiny Moments, by Emily A. Jensen and Laura Wifler, offers at-a-glance inspiration on a variety of subjects pertaining to motherhood and the gospel. For moments when you may be tired, afraid, looking for practical help with your kids, angry, or in need of strength to keep going, this collection of heartfelt reflections will give you the resources and gospel wisdom to address any current situation or struggle that you’re facing.
Learn more about this book and how to purchase here.
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