The Original Identity Thief

By Edith Pont
Guest Blogger
Blogs at Compassionate Healer

The comedy, Identity Thief, premiered recently. The ads are so funny. The premise is simple. A woman steals a man’s name (his identity). He goes after her, but realizes the difficulty of getting his name back. It makes me think of how many people’s identities have been stolen by the original identity thief – Satan. Now, that’s not funny. It’s actually devastating.

Unfortunately, many fall into his trap; they believe the lies. What lies? Lies that speak about their identity in Christ: (1) I am not good enough, (2) I am insignificant, (3) I am worthless, (4) I am bad, (5) I am a failure, (6) I am not loveable. The lies penetrate the depths of the soul, which results in feeling lost, hopeless, damaged, misunderstood, frustrated, alone and vulnerable. The worst part is these lies are lived out as truths, guiding the person toward destruction… further away from God’s plan.

Here’s how these lies are exhibited:

• Basing your performance on what others say about you, instead of what God says about you
• Self-sabotaging behaviors because you don’t believe you will ever measure up
• Isolating from others you love and love you
• Not believing the Word of God
• Giving up your faith in Christ

Other subtle ways these lies are manifested:

• Giving too much focus on other things (little gods – social media, work, etc.)
• Neglecting to put God first (prayer, reading the Word)
• Negative thinking of self or others
• Doubting your abilities, God’s plan for you
• Not exercising your talents and gifts

Edith is a Marriage & Family Therapist Intern with Turning Point Counseling in California. Edith says she writes from her heart on her Compassionate Healer blog. Writing is her outlet, she says. She and her husband of 13 years are foster/adoptive parents of a 13-month-old baby boy who is the joy of their lives. She hopes that the posts on her Compassionate Healer blog will help increase readers spiritual insight and have a positive effect on their relationships.

The truth is that in Christ, you are: (1) Good enough, (2) Significant, (3) Worthy, (4) Blameless, (5) Successful, (6) Loveable. Your identity is rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:7), and as such, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). As you continue to trust God on a daily basis, you will begin to believe His truths!

Rest in His Word: Ephesians 1:4

Does this describe your circumstance? Well, I’ve got good news. If you believe in the Lord as your Savior, then you don’t have to continue believing these lies. You can claim your identity! It’s yours. It always has been. The problem is that you have forgotten your place in God’s family. You have allowed these lies to creep into your mind and heart.

There is still hope. The great thing is that you won’t have to go looking for the thief in order to get your identity back. You have access to the greatest lawyer in history – Jesus. Won’t you just go to Him and allow Him to restore you? This will require you go back to basics. Begin by reading His Word and praying. Then, as you meditate, you can take those thoughts captive and replace them with God’s truth (His promises). Only then can you experience the benefits of truly being rooted in Christ. This requires you to believe that what His Word says is for you.

The truth is that in Christ, you are: (1) Good enough, (2) Significant, (3) Worthy, (4) Blameless, (5) Successful, (6) Loveable. Your identity is rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:7), and as such, you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). As you continue to trust God on a daily basis, you will begin to believe His truths!

Rest in His Word: Ephesians 1:4

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (NIV)

Heart Checkup:

• Write down some truths about your identity in Christ (use your Bible).
• Do you remember how you felt when you first came to know the Lord? Write it down. Better yet, share your testimony with someone and notice how your thoughts will take you into His truths!

To read more of Edith’s encouraging blog posts, visit her Compassionate Healer blog.