Soul Identity

There is a real spiritual struggle with the good news of God’s love. We quickly claim, “God loves you and God loves me,” but do we really believe it? One of the biggest discoveries for me in my spiritual journey happened when I became curious about what I truly believed in my heart.

Come to find out, I believed a false version of John 3:16,17. I believed that “God was so mad at the world that He sent His Son to come down and tell them to shape up, that whosoever would shape up would have eternal life. Indeed, God did send his Son into the world to condemn it, in order that the world might be saved through good works." (by James Bryan Smith)

I would tell people, “For God so loved the world…” but every time I attempted to have a quiet time, it felt more like I was dealing with an angry God. The lie that I believed was that God came and went in my life based on my behavior. If I pleased him, He was near. If my worship was good, God was near. If I behaved myself, He was near. I believed God loved me conditionally. I was saved from such madness. 

The truth is that in Christ, I am always a beloved child of God. It’s my soul identity given by God, it can never be achieved. 

Henri Nouwen says the real work of prayer is to become silent and listen to the voice of love that says good things about you. This is the voice of blessing. We are brought to life through blessing!

Nouwen offers three guidelines in the spiritual struggle surrounding our belovedness as children of God:

1. Remind yourself that the world tells you many lies about who you are. The truth is you are chosen by God, called the Beloved from all eternity, even when the world does not choose you.
2. Look for people and places where your truth is spoken and where you are reminded of your deepest identity as the chosen. These are life-giving people and places.
3. Celebrate your chosenness by saying “thank you” to God. Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are a divine choice. You are not an accident!