You are defined by God and God alone

He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts . . .  2 Corinthians 1:22 (NLT)

You are not defined by your feelings. You are not defined by the opinions of others. You are not defined by your circumstances. You are not defined by your successes or failures. You are not defined by the car you drive, or the money you make, or the house you say you own (even though the bank really owns it).

You are defined by God and God alone. He identifies you as his own (2 Corinthians 1:22).

The thing is, if you don’t know who you are, then you are vulnerable to other people telling you who you are. But the concrete, solid, gospel truth is that you are who God says you are and no one else has a vote in the matter.

Jesus was able to face the incredible demands of his mission because he knew exactly who he was. He knew that he mattered to God, and that gave him confidence to move purposefully in faith.

You are God’s precious child and he created you in a way that pleases him. Because you are identified with Christ, you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you.

Because God defines you, you can stop accepting how others have defined you. You can stop accepting how others have labeled you.

  • Ask God to help you believe and accept what he says about you.
  • How would your life change if you fully accepted that God is pleased with how he created you?

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This devotional © Copyright 2013 Jon Walker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Jon Walker

Jon Walker is managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Hope Devotionals and a contributing editor at pastors.com. Copyright © 2017 Jon Walker. Used by permission.