Thursday, May 17, 2012

Finding our Identity in Christ


They say that you will know you are a competitive swimmer when your non-swim friends just stop inviting you to things, because they assume you’ll have swim practice anyway. They say that you will know you are a completive swimmer when you smell like chlorine all day, every day. I meet those criteria. I am a competitive swimmer. I swim more than twenty hours each week. But, this year I’ve been learning a lot more from swimming than just stroke technique.
At swim, I sometimes deal with coaches who are happy with me when I swim fast, and frustrated with me when I don’t. At swim, I sometimes deal with teammates who, for whatever reason, exclude me from their “group” of friends. No matter how well I do at a swim meet, there is always the internal and external pressure to get a faster time at the next meet. The swim world can be intense. I know that many other SCA students (and parents) also experience these and similar situations in their own sports, classes, or jobs. Sometimes we can be tempted to compare ourselves with others. We can struggle with low self-esteem, or with contentment. There is a temptation to let other people or our circumstances tell us our worth. I think I am coming to learn the solution to these temptations.
As Christians, we belong to Jesus. We are His children first and foremost. He made us and has a plan for us, and that is where our identity lies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.” So, no matter what the circumstance, we must remember these truths. There will always be a time in our lives when we feel “less- than”, or like we don’t belong. I know when my dad was out of work he needed to remember that he was so much more than “a job”. Some of us may not be accepted into the college of our choice, or get the part in the play or the job that we had hoped for. A boss, teacher, coach, or friend may leave us feeling like we are not enough. Life on earth will always bring challenges. This is when we need to rest in the truth of God’s Word.
God loves you. Jesus died for you. He is good and we can trust Him with our lives. Yes, I am a competitive swimmer. I am also a student, daughter, sister, musician, and friend. Most importantly, however, I am a child of a Faithful God!! I live for His approval alone. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let’s live our lives for the glory of our amazing God! Ephesians 1:3-8 says, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)
Love,
Tessa