We all have a name. We frequently introduce ourselves by saying, "I am _____." But much too often, we fill in that third word with our own thoughts of ourselves, our own negative, harsh, and cruel judgments we view ourselves as. "I am useless. I am unworthy. I am messy. I am unsure. I am insecure. I am not as good as them." And although we may not introduce ourselves as these names, in our hearts, it's what we start to believe. And it tears us down, down, down. But our Father, the one true God, calls us none of those. Instead, he calls us child and redeemed and forgiven and loved. And those are the names we should start calling ourselves. Here are 12 names we must start replacing that third word with.
1. A child of God.
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12.
2. Free.
"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2.
3. A new creation.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17.
4. Filled.
"And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority." Colossians 2:10.
5. A citizen of Heaven.
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ..." Philippians 3:20.
6. Light.
"...For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." Ephesians 5:8.
7. A partaker of the promise.
"This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." Ephesians 3:6.
8. Brought near.
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13.
9. God's workmanship.
"For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them." Ephesians 2:10.
10. Seated in the heavenly places.
"...And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." Ephesians 2:6.
11. Alive with Christ.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ..." Ephesians 2:4-5.
12. Chosen.
"Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Ephesians 1:4.
