Acting The Part: Reconciling Our Identity

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

This marks our fiftieth (50th) conversation this year, and it will also be our final one, as I won’t be here next weekend as we each spend Boxing Day with our families.

Speaking of family, today holds special meaning for mine, as it's the memorial of our dear father’s passing into the next life.

So this conversation is dedicated to him.

Truthfully, on days like this in past years, I would have preferred to be alone.

Yet, today I can't, because in you my friend I have found another family, and being here with you is part of the responsibilities that have come with it.

I also deeply appreciate your steadfast commitment to showing up as well; indeed, you're a reliable and consistent friend, always here, regardless.

This shows how solid you are, and I'm honored to have you in my corner.

Fifty (50) is indeed a significant number, and I don't take your support lightly.

Discussion:

Imagine a scenario where someone purchases a gift for you, exactly the item you've been desperately searching for everywhere, and then entrusts it to another person to deliver to you.

However, before that delivery happens, you unexpectedly walk in and spot this very thing in their possession.

Overcome with excitement, you begin pleading with them to sell it to you, even offering to pay far more than it's worth, completely unaware that it is already yours.

The person, deciding to play along and tease you a bit more, turns down your offer without revealing the truth; that the item truly belongs to you.

So feeling disappointed and frustrated, you step outside to call the original buyer and vent about what just happened, only for them to inform you that the item is in fact yours, and they had asked this person to give it to you.

You return inside, and this time you calmly yet firmly claim what is rightfully yours, no pleading, just quiet confidence.

The other person smiles and remarks on the change, noting that your tone and demeanor are entirely different now, likely because you finally know who you are: the true owner of the item.

This is the basis of today's discussion.

In essence, we behave differently when we truly know who we are, and we’ll explore how this principle shapes our daily approach to life.

■ False Identity - Understanding What We’re Not

If an owner is begging for something that rightfully belongs to him, then it's because he's unaware of who he is.

Many of us carry a diminished, false sense of identity, far below our real worth, and as a result, we live in ways that unconsciously hold us back from stepping fully into our potential.

Some of us have mistakenly defined ourselves by one or more of the following:

▪︎ Our Past 

Those of us who tie our identity to the past often refuse to let go, trapped in regret over mistakes that shaped our present reality.

We cling to our failures, wearing them like a badge of shame, as though self punishment could somehow atone for what went wrong and what it cost us.

Yet this only deepens the regret, causing us to miss the beauty of today and the fresh opportunities it brings to make things right.

In truth, no one who dwells in the past is truly content with their present, which is why we must deliberately start acting in ways that build a brighter future.

Once our reality improves, we no longer visit the past to drown in self blame but to reflect on what we've been through and have overcome, drawing strength from those victories.

Our past doesn't define us and believing it does only limits us.

When we hold tightly to actions and outcomes we cannot change, we rob ourselves of the chance to turn the page and create something beautiful from our broken pieces.

▪︎ Our Possessions 

Earlier this year, when we discussed the story of Jemeker Thompson, we saw how as a kid the deep humiliation of watching her mother get evicted from their home ignited in her an unhealthy fixation on money.

Yet in her relentless pursuit of wealth, she ended up humiliating her own son when federal agents arrested her on his graduation day.

Here, the very shame she sought to escape returned in a different form.

This is what happens when we construct our identity around money and material things, driving us to do whatever it takes to acquire them.

It is a deeply limiting identity.

We are worth far more than what we currently possess, for someone with little today may have abundance tomorrow, and someone with much today may face changes that leave them with less.

Which means that tying our sense of self worth to our possessions leaves our identity constantly fluctuating according to our circumstance, and that's an unstable foundation that's simply not worth building upon.

▪︎ Our Limitations 

The pain of living with a physical or mental disability can lead to profound sadness and self pity as we imagine all the different paths our lives might have taken.

Here, if we're not careful, this self pity becomes our identity, limiting our convictions and discouraging us from taking a good shot at life.

Yet, time and again, we have witnessed inspiring examples of people who refused to accept any imposed limits and instead pushed beyond them.

We have seen blind individuals excel in music and deaf individuals shine in storytelling.

Often, the loss of ability in one area brings extraordinary strength in another, we simply need to move past our self rejection and begin embracing these hidden gifts.

■ Purpose - Our True Identity 

A person’s identity is deeply connected to their purpose, the unique reason they are here on earth.

Most of us drift through life without clear direction, displaying behaviors that do not align with our true selves, simply because we have not yet understood the deeper meaning of our existence

This is a widespread struggle; as many of us continue to grapple with making sense of our lives.

Too often, we act in ways that fall short of the responsibilities tied to our calling, unaware of what that calling even is, and as a result, we live far below the rewards and deep fulfillment that come from walking in it faithfully.

Yet all of this can change very quickly.

Who better to reveal the intended use of something than the one who made it?

Who better can guide us more perfectly toward our purpose than our Creator?

The truth is, God has a distinct purpose for every single one of us.

This means that, in spite of all the false identities we carry and the various ways we think less of ourselves, He views us as masterpieces, lovingly created by Him for good works.

This is our true identity, and the moment we grasp it, everything begins to change.

Now we understand our rightful place and embrace our profound significance, leaving no space for self blame, shame, or self pity.

Summary:

The moment we truly realize who we are, we no longer find any satisfaction in begging for what has already been freely given to us.

Most of the things we struggle for outside of God have in fact been graciously handed to us, coming with this lasting peace that satisfies.

Yet so many of us turn away from Him, unaware of our real identity in Him.

What a tragedy it is to trade away our soul, overpaying dearly for a cheap, inferior substitute of the fulfillment that God offers freely.

Let this be the thought we carry with us as we close out the year.

See you soon, my friend.

Master Apprentice.

www.x.com/truekingmaker