Discovering your identity is an important step in being able to be honest with yourself about both the good and the bad. Admitting your weaknesses and embracing your strengths is absolutely necessary in order to be effective as a leader. Thanks for starting on this journey!
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we’re living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
EPHESIANS 1:11-12 (MSG)
OBJECTIVE
Discover and discuss how our identity impacts our life and leadership. Over the course of this lesson, you will…
- Learn how God sees you.
- Write down words that you would use to describe yourself.
- Talk about those words with your process partner.
- Engage with how you might change the way you think about yourself.
- Share what you’ve learned through this with someone outside the group.
UNDERSTAND | How Does God See Me?
Sinner? Success? Failure? Friend? Imposter? Stranger? Leader? Outsider?
How God sees you shapes your personality, your attitude, and your relationships. Few
of us were raised in homes where we were consistently taught that God sees us as His child… a son or daughter that was chosen by God to be included in His family. We didn’t just “happen;” we were intentionally created, redeemed, and adopted into the household of God by our Heavenly Father.
God created you in His image to be in a relationship with him. That is who you are.
He wants to help you and be there for you. He wants to pursue you, affirm you, guide you, and bless you. He wants to help you interpret the events and circumstances of your life so you have peace about them. He wants to continually teach you so you’ll teach others. A disciple is a learner and follower of Jesus. And that starts when we accept our identity as part of His family: beloved, adopted, forgiven child of the Living God.
During this journey, you may find yourself drifting back to lies about who you think you are. Often messages that we have absorbed from our families, society, and media can prompt us to embrace a false view of ourselves based on a number of factors including temperament, ethnicity, race and/or gender.
In order to combat those lies, take a moment to share with the group about a time when you felt like you were living out your true God-given identity.
“God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We for- get that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives.”
FRANCIS CHAN, CRAZY LOVE
PRACTICE | How Do I See Myself?
Find a quiet time and place and sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. Ask yourself this question: “When I think about myself – who I am as a person – what words would I use to describe my identity?”
In a column: Try to come up with at least 25 words. This may be difficult to come up with this many words, but this level of reflection will help each of us understand the importance of what we believe about ourselves. keep
it to less than 10 words. This is personal, so be completely honest with yourself; no one else has to see your list. Don’t filter these words, just write down what comes to you. We all have positive and negative attributes. Try to use words that capture both.
Now pray and ask God to give you the words that HE would use to describe you—His adopted son/daughter.
Beside each of the words you wrote down in the first column, jot down the word that came to you when you asked God for his descriptor. Look at the contrast between the words. Think about the difference between how you see yourself and how God sees you, then come to the next session prepared to share what you’ve discovered.
While reflecting on your two lists, try and answer the following question:
What are times in your life when this is particularly important to remind yourself? We all spend time living in both false identities and true identities, and this exercise will help you become more aware of this tendency.
PROCESS
Discuss the “How Do I See Myself?” exercise with a partner. Focus on the words that conflict most with the words God uses to describe you. We are social beings. Often the narratives about who we are based on race, gender, age, etc., impact us. How do social categories influence how I view myself?
Read Ephesians 1:3-14. Look at the list of descriptions. How do the words that describe you there align or differ with your list?
Share your ideas and see if you can help each other. Be bold. Speak into each other’s worlds. Help one another walk by faith in who God says you are.
“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.”
BRENNAN MANNING
ACT | Share with a Friend
Taking time to understand your identity is a helpful exercise whether you follow Jesus or not. Ask God to give you an opportunity to share your insights you’ve learned about how God sees you with your friends outside of your “church circle.” Trust Him to provide opportunities for authentic connection:
- What have you learned about yourself and your gut response judgements of yourself?
- How are you understanding how a Christian identity is formed beyond a moment of salvation?
- Bonus Challenge: Consider sharing what you’ve learned about your identity with someone who is not yet a follower of Jesus.
WANT MORE?
Discover Your Design is a part of the Leadership Development Guide.