Do you know your identity? Not what the world says about you and your talents, looks, or actions, but intrinsically—inside you. I pray that if you’ve been around my blog for long at all, you can answer this question easily. For the child of God, identity comes through the love of Christ that caused him to lay His life down for our own.
I love to talk about identity here at HISsparrowBlog. All my life I’ve struggled with understanding my worth—always feeling…less than. Less pretty than her. Less smart than him. Less good.
Less.
But I have to say that for as long as I’ve felt less than, God has been patiently showing me His truth: I am not less. I am loved. Free. I am beautiful in His sight. I am redeemed.
But it doesn’t stop there.
On this journey to understanding identity, I’ve come to realize that it’s more than understanding who I am. It’s about understanding who others are. It’s about my sister who feels the same way I have all my life. It’s about helping others understand who they are and can be thanks to the remarkable gift of Christ.
I’ve been deeply troubled for a while now. There’s been so much to process. This side says black lives matter, and that side says all lives matter. This side says one extreme. That one says the opposite.
It can be hard to know what to do. Or think. Or say.
I can at least start with me.
I don’t understand much of what’s going on right now, but that doesn’t mean I should ignore it.
When my sister or brother says there’s a problem, maybe I should listen. And try not to put on them my own experience with the extreme. That’s a theory I’ve been thinking on a lot lately.
The extremes.
I think many times we can’t agree on issues and resolve anything because both parties think in the extreme. Any kind of gun regulations equals government control with no more right to bear arms. Illegal immigrants somehow equal murdering rapists who want to take. Any concern for the environment equals a tree-hugger who’d rather blow up people than hurt the planet.
And we get so upset with the ‘other’ side, because we feel accused of being the extreme that they’ve experienced. There’s no doubt it’s offensive, but then we do the same to them.
And no one listens to anyone.
What if we got out of the extremes? What if when my sister says that she’s been discriminated against because of her color, I just listen? What if when my brother says he’s fearful for his life on the street because of his color, I listen?
Instead of hearing, what if I listen?
Why I’m Choosing to Listen
I think the healthiest thing we can learn is where to find answers.
It doesn’t really matter what Google, my friends, family, feelings, political party, or church says. All those things can change, even on the daily. New information or backstories or moods … all the things.
Everything in life must be filtered through Scripture. Everything. It is the only thing in this life that doesn’t change. As the word of an unchanging God, Scripture is the anchor that’ll reach the deepest waters.
It is the only guide to accurately base our thought-patterns, beliefs, and opinions. And on that note: here are my reasons I’m choosing to listen…
#1 – God made all the colors.
#2 – I should love my neighbor as myself, never showing partiality.
#3 – I must look out for the interests of others, considering them more important than my own.
#4 – The world will know I am a child of God by my love for others.
#5 – There is no distinction between us in Christ.
We are surrounded by extremes in life. Extreme views, tweets, actions, reactions. It can be confusing until we strip all that away and focus on the one thing that’ll help us: God’s Word.
And God’s Word leads me to believe that when my brother or sister says they have a problem, I should listen.
Here are some great resources for you…
- 3 First Steps Christians Should Take in the Fight for Racial Justice from Sarah Butterfield
- How Well Are We Listening? from Sarah Thomas
- 5 Secrets to Being a Good Listener from HISsparrowBlog
WELL SAID!!!
Thank you for the continued support! You’re a treasure!
You have given us something to think about. All the scriptures fall right into line with our thinking during this season in all our lives. Thank you! Your words have certainly helped me.
Thanks so much for stopping in, Judy!
Such wisdom here to treasure! It’s so easy to get caught up in culture because we tend to polarize things it’s either this or that. Thank you for driving us back to the heart of scripture and to listen for God‘s leading in all circumstances.
It is easy to allow culture and politics to steer our actions and beliefs, but thankfully we have something better—something unchanging. 😉 Thanks so much for stopping in, Sonya.
As white women I think listening is one of the most important things we can do. That and saying I’m sorry. Very thoughtful post and I appreciate the scripture.
So true, Lauren!
Very precious words and Scriptures! Thank you so much for sharing them here. Humility that comes from the heart of Christ really will cause us to pause and listen to each other just like He has always done for us. Blessings to you!
That’s a great point, Bettie! Just think where’d we be if God didn’t listen to us. Thanks for dropping by!
I appreciate your words on this subject. I pray that we as Christians can be guided by God’s Word rather than fear about politics when it comes to these issues as you did so well here in your post!
Thank you for the encouragement, Amy! God bless.
Love your advice to get out of the extremes. I agree that too often we paint people on the far end of an issue instead of listening to hear where they really are. Thanks for linking up at Grace & Truth!
I think that’s one our biggest problems. We think that everyone else should know that we’re not in the extreme while painting others in it. Thanks so much stopping in, Lisa!