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In Honor of this revelation...a little theme music is in order I think :)
Earlier today a friend of mine informed me that he had a dream and I was in it. Being the wise man that he is, he was aware that, as in most dreams, the people in them usually represent an idea or a quality of character as apposed to it being a dream about them specifically. So he then researched my name and found out that my last name meat "soldier". Though I thought this moment of sharing a bit random, I also knew that the Lord was going to use it somehow to teach me something.
Well about thirty minutes after this interaction was made, I was cleaning out my purse to switch it to another, only to discover something interesting: my i.d. was missing.
I remembered the day before I had pulled it out at the store and was fairly confident I had probably left it on the counter there after I had checked out. So of course, I cleaned up a bit and hopped in the car to retrieve it. As I was driving, I was worried that it wasn't going to be there or that I had dropped it outside...all the usual worries that would run through your head in a moment like that. Then it hit me...my identity was missing. I realized then what God was trying to say to me.
So many times in life I have found myself defeated by my own failures, mistakes, short comings and negative opinions. I have walked around with my head down, afraid to look in people's eyes because they will judge me. We so often place our self realizations in thoughts, ideas and abilities. The opinions of other people become our defining characteristics. We literally lay down our true identities, who we all are called to be, as sons and daughters of a living God and instead place badges on ourselves depicting a role we are assuming. Hello, my name is failure...nice to meet you.
We are live as if we are only as valuable as our actions in that moment. We don't fight hard enough to be victorious over sin. We so often lay down and give up, forgetting we have a victorious warrior who died for us. He died so we wouldn't have to...he loved us that much. But yet we act as if we have forgotten that part...that His love only applies when we are perfect. Here's on of my favorite quotes by Oswald Chambers:
I thought about something my friend said a when we were talking about my name meaning. He said, "God has named you so appropriately that you represent others as well."
My first name means "worthy of love". Put that together with my last name's meaning and I guess you could say I am a "soldier of love." It is my call, my duty, to fight for the love of God to be the defining characteristic not only in my life but in the lives of others. Its yours to if you you choose to follow Christ.
" I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."
ephesians 3:16-20 NLT
So we must not lay down our identities any longer. We must not hang our heads in shame and cower from our calling.We aren't our sins. We aren't our failures. We aren't our imperfections. We are the light of the world. We are children of the most high God. We are heirs to the throne. We are more than conquerors. We are soldiers of love. So let's start acting like it.
In Honor of this revelation...a little theme music is in order I think :)
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