You (don't) Need a Dress to be a Princess + thoughts on identity

I'm learning about  i d e n t i t y.

When music turns on, my 3-year-old niece dances. She can't help but twirl and jump and fall with her arms sprawled around, grinning widely as she runs around the house, laughing, and tries to do a flip like her gymnast aunts (but instead produces a funny summersault that gets so much applause!).

But sometimes, she can only dance if she's wearing a dress.

When the melody begins in soft pianos or electronic dance music, she runs to me, begging for a dress. Because somewhere inside her, without the twirling hem of a skirt, without the pretty feeling of lace and floral colors, without something beautiful to wear, she believes she's not a princess.

That's why when she strutted into the room with fancy boots, a fuzzy pink winter hat, sunglasses, and her snowman pjs, I knew in her heart she was beautiful and princessy and could walk with dignity. ;)

But I do the exact same thing. I don't always know my true identity.

In the autumn, after publishing The Way of the King, I faced wide-open days and presented them to the Lord. His answer: rest

That was hard.

I had no books to write. No career. No specific ways of ministry or serving or producing fruit.

It's easy for my identity to be in those.

I want to produce something beautiful because it makes me feel like I have purpose. But it's not true.

He is my identity.

God whispered, what if My definition of "productive" is different than yours?

That time was so productive. It was so good. It was a time of facing hard truths, of seeing sin and ugliness in myself He wanted to purge, of crying bitter tears, of learning increased surrender to my King. It was a time I grew more like His Princess and less like the ugly self in this heart that fights to resist Him.

I learned:

 my identity is Christ.

It's being His.

Period.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

There's this switch that happens when a soul surrenders to God as their Father. They're made new. Beautiful. Clean. Forgiven.

Instead of our wrongs or rights defining us, we're defined as: children adopted, fully known and fully loved.

I learned that on the Day Jesus returns to bring restoration, He will be called,

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Jeremiah 23:6

to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:26 

Which means I can walk in victory. joy. peace. All this, knowing on that Day, the Judge will look at me and see Jesus' righteousness covering me, and I'll be s a v e d.

Like God spoke to Israel about their salvation from a captivity they rightly received, we also are invited to find our wholeness, peace, shalom in Him.

I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely...

Hosea 14:4

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1

Somehow, through the cross, my identity is changed.

And it can't be unchanged through my daily mistakes. my confusions. the opinion of others. circumstances. my performance. disasters. emotions. (or my lack of a princess dress)

My identity is C H R I S T.

HE is my righteousness--meaning that His goodness is clothed around me, so that's all that can be seen. All the old is gone, and I can walk in Christ.

I don't have to wear a dress to be a princess.

And I can rest knowing I belong to the King of Kings! The work of the cross is finished, so I'm gonna get giddy when the music turns on because I have permission to dance, clothed in His righteousness as my ballroom gown!

What we do is very important. But what He did is way more important-er. ;)

And that's what keeps me going in loyalty until the Day of Christ Jesus, when He returns to rule as King forever! 

Death. life. angels. principalities. powers. things present. things to come. height. depth. any created thing. NONE of them shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That's the identity of Hosanna Emily.

And it can be yours.

Not how many books you write, lives you change, jobs you work. It doesn't matter how "productive" you look to the world.

Because you might wake up without snowman pjs, a fancy dress, or a pink snow hat. ;)

Jesus doesn't change.

And that's why my identity is secured. ♥

is there something you're tempted to place your identity in or base your worth on? or something about this post you'd like to chat about? drop a note in the comments to talk or pray for each other! *hugs*

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.

Romans 4:7-8

 

~♥~