Find Beauty in Christ When You’re Struggling With Your Identity

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It’s an age-old dilemma for God’s children from the foundation of the world. From the days of Adam and Eve until today. God’s people struggle with knowing who they are. In this article, I will answer (with the help of the Holy Spirit), “What does the Bible say about our Identity in Christ?“

Since I’m a woman, I’m writing from a woman’s perspective but please do not think that men have no identity struggles because they do.

Furthermore, as a woman who advocates for women to embrace their natural hair, I will also speak to some of the issues of a Christian woman with natural hair struggling with her identity.

Related posts:

The 5 T’s of Living a Life of Faith

Bible Verses and Quotes About Stepping Out on Faith

Having an Identity Crisis is a Spiritual Battle

The world defines an identity crisis in a number of ways*:

“An identity crisis is a phase many people go through when they question or reassess who they are.”

“Experiencing great personal conflict due to the questioning of who you are or your role in society.

“Questioning things such as your values, spirituality, beliefs, interests, or career path that have a major impact on how you see yourself.”

“A period of confusion and doubt surrounding one’s sense of self, often occurring during times of transition or when someone is forced to confront aspects of their life that conflict with the roles they have taken on.”

While there is an element of truth to each of these “definitions” of an identity crisis, at the very root of it all is a spiritual battle.

When you feel “less than” or “as good as” someone else who has what has been called “pretty hair” aka a looser texture, you are entering a spiritual battle.

If the enemy of our souls, satan can get you to doubt who you were created to be and doubt God’s calling on your life, he has you exactly where he wants you to be – confused, immobilized, lacking, and in some extreme cases, suicidal. 

Let me expose the enemy right now.

Resisting Worldly Definitions of Identity

We were made in God’s image so our identity is and should be found in Him. Yet, we live in a fallen world with a very real enemy who desires nothing more than to sift us as wheat. The Bible tells us in John 10:10 (Jesus is speaking here): “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;”

That thief has come to also steal our identity for when we know without a shadow of a doubt who we are, the thief is no longer able to affect our lives. When you know who you are In Christ, the devil can’t whisper his lies into your ear to make you believe anything contrary to God’s Word.

The good news is Jesus did not end His statement with what the thief came to do. He continues in the second part of the verse with “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

*These are cited from worldly resources including medical journals, news sources, public universities, and psychologists

The Importance of Humility in Identity

We live in a world where competition and comparison are at the core of how so many people find their value in society.

For women, there’s the comparison of how long one’s hair is, how thick it is, and how loose or tight the curl pattern is.

So many of us struggle with our physical appearance from our hair to our weight. Conversely, when we “meet” society’s standard of beauty, there’s often the inclination to become haughty and high-minded.

None of us are immune to feeling “better” than another. It’s part of our fallen human nature. Yet, woman of God you must always be on guard and not fall prey to the spirit of arrogance. Humility should be a characteristic we strive to maintain.

Does it feel good to see our hair growing and our bodies transforming after putting in some serious work? Absolutely.

But, how we look on the outside is not nearly as important as how we feel on the inside. Even more so, the condition of our hearts will reflect if we are walking in our true identity as children of God.

Recognize Where Your Worth Comes From

To walk in humility is to recognize that our worth comes from God, not from our achievements, our financial statuses, our weight, or the appearance of our hair.

As a follower of Christ, we are to model His behavior. In Philippians 2:3-8 (New Living Translation), the scripture admonishes us:

³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

⁶ Though he was God,^[a]
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges^[b];
he took the humble position of a slave^[c]
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,^[d]
8  he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Christ Jesus is our model for humility. When battling with being humble as a child of God, this is the perfect grounding text from the Word of God.

Finding Identity in God’s Unchanging Nature

Your core identity is wrapped up in God’s very nature.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you become a new creation, a royal priesthood, part of a holy nation. Your old self is no more and you become the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Can you still sin? Yes. Why? Because, while your spirit is now perfect and made in the image of God, your soul needs to be transformed.

Your soul consists of your mind, your will, and your emotions. This is why the holy scriptures tell us to renew our minds.

Romans 12:2 (New International Version) tells us:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

When we are born, we are already made in God’s own image. We are spirit. He is spirit. We have a soul. He has a soul. We live in a physical body. Jesus, the Son of God was the bodily reflection of the Father on earth.

While we are in God’s image from the day He conceives us (God’s handiwork), we do not become like Him until we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s when we receive the forgiveness of sins and the spiritual blessing of knowing we have been redeemed, that we are able to see God and ultimately ourselves. 

In order to know God’s nature, we have to spend time with Him and His Word.

What we do know from the Word about God’s nature is He does not change. See Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8

The Role of God’s Word in Shaping Your True Identity

As previously mentioned, in order to step into your personal identity, you need to spend time with God. It’s during those times that you discover God’s great love for you. 

There are so many verses in the Bible that will not only shape your identity but confirm it.

God wants you to know his great love. He wants you to see yourself as He sees you – a chosen people, God’s own possession, His special possession.

His plans for your life are good. Eternal life is your portion but God also wants you to live with much fruit in your life right here on earth. He wants you to experience the good things that He planned for you long ago.

To know your worth and identity in Christ will not come naturally. The fruit of the spirit does not come naturally. The spirit of God has to form that fruit within you.

The way to develop that fruit is to spend time in God’s Word, God’s truth. It is in the Word that you will also discover that you are a beautiful woman of God. Everything about you matters to our Heavenly Father.

A New Identity in Christ

Accepting Jesus Christ into your life doesn’t mean your life will be without bumps. It doesn’t mean that you will automatically love yourself or cease to struggle with the deceitful desires or sin.

To accept Christ means that we are no longer strangers to God. It means that we are fellow heirs with Jesus Christ to the Kingdom of God. It means you now have a solid foundation in which to build your life and you are a future citizen of heaven.

With your new identity in Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. You have the Holy Spirit living within you doing the good works that will help you to overcome sinful habits and behaviors that have held you bound for most of your life.

The first step to walking in this new identity is to develop a personal relationship with God. To do so is the same way you develop the fruit of the spirit – spending time with the Lord and His Word.

Bible Verses About Identity In Christ Jesus

As you spend time in God’s Word, you’ll discover the former lies you have been believing about yourself diluting. The Word of God doesn’t only confirm your identity in Christ. It solidifies it.

To fully answer the question, “What does the Bible say about our identity in Christ?” let’s look at specific Bible verses. You can download a free list of the scriptures right here.

Below are 10 scriptures from the Bible (in the New King James Version) that speak to a person’s identity in Christ (in this free download, you’ll find 7 more):

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”

Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. “

1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”

John 1:12 – “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Colossians 3:3 – “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Ephesians 1:4 – “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”

Philippians 3:20 – “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

These verses bring full attention to the profound and transformative identity believers have in Jesus Christ. Meditate on them regularly to transform your way of thinking about who you are in Christ.

Download the free list of scriptures about your identity in Christ here.

The Danger of Comparing Yourself to Others

None of us are born perfect and we each encounter a time in our lives when we wish we had something we feel we are lacking in. That isn’t God’s best for us. He doesn’t want us to covet what another person has and He doesn’t want us to be ungrateful for what we have.

In the case of hair (since that’s what this website is about), God doesn’t want us to feel as though our hair doesn’t stand up to the next woman’s. He wants us to learn to appreciate and love ourselves as He’s created us.

This is why I believe one of my assignments was to create a resource to help women who are struggling to love their hair. Love Your Hair in 30 Days is a devotional journal for women who are struggling with feeling self-conscious or lacking in some way because of their hair.

It contains thoughtful scriptures and provoking prayer journal prompts designed to help you love and truly appreciate your hair.

Learn more about the Love Your Hair in 30 Days Devotional here.

Overcoming the Lies of the Enemy

If up to this point, you realize you have fallen prey to the lies of the enemy, it’s time to do an about-face.  Spend time in the scriptures you’ve just read. Journal your questions, thoughts, and prayers.

Day by day, you’ll discover the marvelous light of God’s word shining truth into your life.  The enemy, satan will no longer be able to distort who you are.

And, in case you need a reminder from the Truth of God’s Word about what the Bible says about your identity in Christ,

• God says you are a new creature.

• You are made in the likeness of God.

• You are the righteousness of God.

• You are God’s special possession

• The Lord calls you His great delight

Embracing Your Unique God-Given Purpose

Every single human being on this planet has a purpose – a God-given assignment, if you will. 

As you spend time in prayer and Bible study, the Holy Spirit will unveil your purpose in life. 

It’s not without diligent seeking to find your purpose. You’ll have to seek God for clarity in your calling (something I have been doing with the help of a free devotional from Kristin Dronchi, a coach for women looking to run their businesses by God’s Design).

As the Lord reveals your God-given gifts and talents, embrace them. Then, seek the Lord for further direction in how to develop them.

I’ll leave you with this verse of scripture from Psalm 139:13-16 which says:

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;

         You wove me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Wonderful are Your works,
         And my soul knows it very well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You,
         When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

¹⁶ Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
         And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
         When as yet there was not one of them.

These verses of scripture clearly reveal that we each have an individual identity. When God created us, He made us with purpose. Don’t allow the world or the devil to tell you who you are. 

After reading about what the Bible says about our identity in Christ, I hope you can now see yourself through God’s eyes.

Your hair is beautiful. And, so is your skin. Your body is beautiful. You are beautiful for you are made in the image of the God of the Universe and Your Identity is Found in Christ.

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