I Choose Today to Begin Receiving Who I Am in Christ

As we step into a new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about identity.

We live in a culture that constantly tells us we need to figure out who we are, to build it, brand it, defend it, and prove it. We’re encouraged to craft our identity like a sculpture, shaping ourselves into something impressive, acceptable, or admired.

If I’m honest, that feels exhausting.

Especially if, at some point in your life, you were told, either with words or with silence, that you weren’t really worth much to begin with.

Over time, I’ve come to realize something important: identity in Christ isn’t actually hard to understand. What’s hard is receiving it.

That’s what I want to sit with here.

Not who you should be. Not who you’re trying to become. But how we begin receiving who God already says we are, in Christ.

Scripture makes it clear that our identity flows from what Jesus has done, not what we manage to do right. Because of His life, death, and resurrection, we are forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, chosen, and loved. Not because we earned it. Not because we achieved it. Simply because God chose us and made a way for us to belong to Him.

And yet, even knowing that, many of us still struggle.

For a long time, I assumed people had trouble with identity in Christ because they didn’t understand the truth. But that’s not what I’ve found to be true.

For many of us, the problem isn’t that we can’t understand truth, it’s that truth has felt unsafe to receive.

When love has been withheld, conditional, or used to control… especially by someone who was supposed to protect us… receiving something good doesn’t feel like grace. It can feel suspicious, risky, or temporary.

So when someone says, “You are loved,” our minds might agree, but our hearts quietly ask, For how long? Or At what cost?

If that resonates with you, I want you to know something: that response isn’t rebellion. It’s not a lack of faith. It’s often the result of a wounded heart trying to stay safe.

I’ve lived this.

I didn’t struggle to receive God’s love because I didn’t believe in Him. I struggled because receiving requires vulnerability, and vulnerability was not safe in my past. Once I understood that, everything shifted.

God didn’t demand that I receive His love all at once. He didn’t shame me or rush me. Instead, He built trust, slowly, patiently, and faithfully, just like a good Father would.

So as we begin this Identity series together, I want you to hear this clearly: you don’t have to receive everything today. You don’t have to force belief or override resistance. You just have to stay open enough to let God begin.

Because identity isn’t something we conquer. It’s something we receive, in relationship with Him.

There’s a simple phrase I want you to carry with you:

My identity is not something I achieve, it’s something I receive in Christ.

Let that sit with you.

For today, I’m inviting you into a gentle first step, not a performance.

Today’s Step:
Take one quiet moment and ask God this simple question:
“What part of my heart feels guarded when it comes to receiving Your love?”

Don’t fix it. Don’t judge it. Just notice, and invite Him in. Receiving doesn’t happen through effort; it happens through trust, and trust grows over time.

Let’s pray.

Father God,
You see every place in us that feels guarded. You know where love once felt unsafe, where words were withheld, or where protection never came. Thank You that You don’t rush us or demand what our hearts aren’t ready to give. Teach us, slowly, to trust You as You truly are, a good, patient, and safe Father. We invite You into the places we’ve kept protected and trust You to build safety there, one step at a time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

As you move through this new year, remember: you don’t have to figure out who you are. God already knows. He isn’t asking you to strive, He’s inviting you to receive. So today, just begin.