Believe it or not, many problems and struggles that we face in life boil down to how we form our identity. In his book, ‘Atomic Habits’, James Clear talks about this very idea, saying that if we want to change our habits, we first need to change our identity. It is out of our identity that our very beliefs, tendencies, and actions come. But how can we apply this as Christians?
As followers of Jesus, we need to learn to embrace our God-given identity, especially embracing your identity in Christ as blessed. Did you know that being blessed is actually part of the identity that you adopt when you become a follower of Christ? Understanding and applying the identity that you’ve received is the key to truly living a blessed and fulfilling life as a child of God.
Let’s explore more about what this means together as we embrace our identities in Christ.
What does it mean to be “So Very Blessed”?
Being “So Very Blessed” not only means striving for God’s blessings in your life, but also recognizing and understanding that you are already so very blessed by what God has given you. It means realizing that you already have what you need to live a blessed life in the love of God and the truth of Scripture.
“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” – John 1:16
This, of course, doesn’t mean that we don’t continually ask for blessings as God’s children. The Scriptures say that He wants to bless us beyond anything that we can imagine. However, it does mean that this starts with being grateful for the blessings that He has already given you, starting with becoming aware of them.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17
This practice of remembering and reminding yourself how blessed you are is present all throughout the Scriptures. Time and time again, God reminded the Israelites of all that He had done, many times of their exodus from Egypt, calling them to remember how He saved them and miraculously brought them out of their oppression and slavery.
“Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.” – 1 Chronicles 16:12-13
Was God being narcissistic and petty? Isn’t it obnoxious to continually remind someone of all that you’ve done for them? Sometimes, this is true, but in the case of the Israelites, they continually disobeyed God and accused God of not providing for them, not because He wasn’t but because they became complacent about what He had done and what He was continually doing.
This is why God kept telling them to remember. Although they were seeking God’s blessings, they were falling into a “What have you done for me lately?” mindset, causing them to stagnate in their faith and become indignant toward God. Yet, when God would remind them of what He had done and what He was continuing to do (provide food in miraculous ways, defeat their enemies on their behalf, etc.), their faith would be reignited and would burn bright once more.
“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” – Deuteronomy 4:9
This is why we recognize that we are “So Very Blessed”. God has blessed us in unimaginable ways; ways that we will perhaps never understand until we reach the other side of eternity. However, this shouldn’t stop us from being passionate about being grateful for that which we can understand now. Part of this is understanding that being “blessed” is part of our very identities in Christ.
What does the Bible say about “blessed” being a part of our identity in Christ?
Ephesians 1 is an amazing chapter of the Bible that focuses on the identity that we have received as followers of Jesus Christ. Specifically, the chapter talks about the blessings that we have already received as born-again believers. Listen to what these verses say:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” – Ephesians 1:3-8
This idea goes on further than just these verses, so I would encourage you to go read this entire chapter on your own, but just think about what is present in those verses. Even just in verse 3, we read, “…Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Notice how it says “has blessed” in the past tense. This means that we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We have already received every single spiritual blessing. How amazing is that?
This means that these spiritual blessings are readily available to us; we just have to realize them and make use of them in our lives. This isn’t just something to marvel at; it forms the very basis for our identity in Christ.
In a similar vein, Matthew 6:30-33 says this about children of God:
“If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:30-33
As God’s children, He seeks to take care of us and provide all that we need. Again, it is part of our very identities in Christ. When we are adopted into God’s family, we become one of His children, and He will always take care of His children and work all things for their good.
How does embracing your identity as “blessed” change your life & your relationship with God?
You may be thinking, “I understand now that I’ve been blessed and that God will continue to provide for me in the future, but how does this change my life and my relationship with God right now, on a daily basis?”
While God’s blessings are certainly impactful in the past and future, they are perhaps even more so in the present. In fact, truly embracing your identity as “blessed” will change your life and your relationship with God in many profound ways. Let’s talk about a few of them.
Firstly, embracing your identity as “blessed” changes the very way that you view and treat God. When you see how God has already blessed you in your life with every spiritual blessing and with many moments of provision, you stop seeing Him as a cosmic wish-granter and start seeing Him as a loving Father.
Sometimes, like the Israelites, we can fall into just going to God when we need something. We tend to ignore Him when things are going well and only cry out to Him when we are lacking. However, when we look back and see how we have been so very blessed at all times, we begin to see how God is always working in our lives, whether we recognize it or not.
While a magic genie appears to grant a wish or two before disappearing, a loving Father is by your side through thick and thin, providing love and support, not just the fulfillment of needs. In learning to see the Father in this way, your relationship with Him becomes more personal and less transactional. You begin to view God differently, allowing yourself to become closer to Him at all times, not just when you need something.
Another way that embracing your identity as “blessed” changes your life is that you begin to accept God’s peace over your life. The Bible says this about the peace of God:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
When you recognize how blessed you are, you become more confident in your prayers, encouraging you to truly present your requests to God at all times. The result of this, as the Scriptures say, is a supernatural peace that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Finally, embracing your identity as “blessed” frees you to bless others. Sometimes, when we trap ourselves in a poverty mindset, thinking that we aren’t blessed and that God has forgotten about us, it makes us extremely hesitant toward blessing others. We think, “How can I bless someone else when I’m not even blessed myself?”
However, when we embrace the fact that being blessed is a part of our very identities, we become free to do good works and bless others abundantly out of our gratefulness for what we ourselves have. In recognizing that all that we have comes from God, we become empowered to loosen our grip on it all and ready to give it to others who are in need.
In these ways and more, embracing your identity as “blessed” can completely change your life and your relationship with God. The only question that remains is, what are you waiting for? Embrace this identity today and become transformed by the power of God’s blessings.
Join The Blessings Movement – Download Your 100 Blessings Tracker
Embrace your identity as a person who is So Very Blessed by using this tracker to remind yourself to look for God’s hand at work in your life, to see your answered prayers, and to feel His goodness, provision, and tender care.
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