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54. Identity in Christ Brings Freedom and Direction · Believe & Become | Ministry, Biblical Encouragement, God's Will, How to Change, Holy Spirit

• 0:00
  Speaker A: Do you know who you are in Christ but still struggle to live like it's true? Maybe you know all the right Bible verses, but you still feel insecure, stuck or unsure about what God wants you to do next. The truth is identity is not just a comforting Christian idea. What you believe about who you are affects how you think, how you make decisions and how confidently you follow God. Today we're talking about how knowing your identity in Christ brings freedom from the lies that have held you back and gives you direction for the life God created you to live. Stick around. It's gonna be good. If you're tired of leading others while secretly battling doubt, discouragement and mental warfare
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  Speaker B: and you want practical tools to renew your mind and walk boldly in your
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  Speaker A: calling as a leader, you're in the right place. Welcome to believe and become.
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  Speaker B: We're Josh and Corina your spirit filled coaches here to help you overcome those limiting beliefs and lead others confidently.
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  Speaker A: If you're ready to hear God's voice more clearly, just step into your purpose and find joy and strength in the everyday silence.
• 1:02
  Speaker B: Those Bible app reminders judging you from your lock screen and let's jump in. I know you feel like something is wrong with you, like I want to change, but I just don't know how.
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  Speaker A: You're tired of bearing the weight of strongholds, lies and unbelief. You're tired, discouraged, depleted and stuck in cycles of fear and anxiety.
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  Speaker B: You just want clarity. You want to feel deeply connected to God and hear his voice again.
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  Speaker A: Stop trying so hard, stop searching for answers around you and lean into an easier way of doing things.
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  Speaker B: We are here to help you stop the negative thoughts, quiet the noise and feel deeply connected to God again.
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  Speaker A: We will show you how to renew your mind with the truth so that you can gain freedom and be transformed.
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  Speaker B: Go right now to joshandkarina.com coaching that's J-O-S-H-A-N-C-O-R-I-N-A.com coaching and book your first session so we can begin your transformation. So growing up, I was what you might call a little bossy. I often expressed my opinions, I inserted myself into any situation and often exerted my own will. This is what I want to do. So that's what we're going to do. As I got older, I toned down a little, but it took a long time before I realized that I had to consider others and that other people had opinions and they wanted things maybe that were different than what I wanted. And it was hard As a child to understand those things, because that's how I'm wired. I'm wired to see the plan, to see the best way forward and lead the people to do it. But as a kid, you know, then other people are like, well, you're bossy or you're mean, or, you know, I. You never let me do what I want to do. But as an adult, as I have matured and grown and learned to listen and delegate and just be a better person in general, that has really turned into a leadership gifting. Something that as a child, often felt like it brought conflict or that I would get in trouble because I wasn't being nice, or something that maybe others didn't always appreciate about me actually turned into something that is really a really strong trait and characteristic. And not just that, but something that the Lord has turned into a tool, something that he can use in me to accomplish things in the church, in wherever he puts me. And so I think often we have these struggles of, I know who I am. We talked last week about identity and your personal identity. I knew who I was. And so I often, like I said, just put myself out there. But there wasn't always the best expression of it. And so as the Lord refines us and matures us, then we can grow into who he created us to be. I could have very easily shut down and been like, well, I'm never going to say what I want. I'm never going to kind of, you know, tell people what to do, because then people get offended and then I don't have friends or whatever. I could have, like, hidden it instead of allowing the Lord to mature it. And often I think that's what happens when we have parts of ourselves that maybe are a little abrasive. Maybe other people don't. Like, maybe people have, like, constantly said, like, I don't like this about you. And so we pull back instead of leaning into, how can I be refined in this area? How can I allow the Lord to use me in spite of my rough edges? And then as we grow and as we interact with others, he actually kind of comes and like we talked about last week, the potter and the clay, he rubs off those rough edges and those things that used to be painful or maybe not the best trait or best part of us become something really useful and beautiful. And I love how God does that with us, that there's never anything that he can't work with.
• 5:05
  Speaker A: Yeah, that's such a good example. Good story about how, especially as children, they're unfiltered Right. We're all unfiltered as kids. And so sometimes that's the truest expression of ourselves and who God created us to be. But then through life, we get told, those are not good things. You need to stop doing that. And so we suppress all of our natural tendencies. And some of those things are healthy things that we need to grow through, but some of it is actually we just need to figure out with the Lord. Okay, that's how you created me to be. How does that. What does that look like in the kingdom to use that for your glory? How was I created to best express myself? Because God, he doesn't make mistakes when he makes us. And that childlikeness is so key in the kingdom to access what God has for us. And so going back to your past and going, okay, what was I like as a child? And what does that look like as an adult? To use that in the kingdom, That's a great exercise to explore with the Lord. And I just love how He. Yeah, he doesn't make mistakes, and he creates us on purpose intentionally. And so maybe there's a part of you that you felt like, oh, I don't like that part. Or other people have told me that's a bad personality trait, something that you need to get. Get rid of. Explore that with the Lord and say, is that really true? Is this a lie I'm believing, or is this the truth? God, tell me what your truth is for me. And maybe there's something there that he wants to reveal to you and bring back to life a part of you, maybe, that you felt was dead or was not. Not good, not a good part of you. And that's. There's so much freedom that God brings to us when we just enter into that process with Him.
• 6:56
  Speaker B: I think it's important that we allow God to refine us in these areas instead of shrinking back, instead of hiding, so that we can do what he created us to do. If we. If we hide who we are. I mean, God made us like we talked about last week, on purpose, for a purpose. There was a reason that he made you. A need that needed to be filled. And if you're shrinking back, then you're not gonna be able to step into that purpose. And so it's important to allow him to come into all those places, even the ones that maybe feel a little painful sometimes, because here's the reality. When you know who you are, you're not trying to be someone else. And I think that is. It sounds so like, duh, but it's so important for us to realize that comparison has to go. You are not created to be like anybody else. My sister is the sweetest, quietest, loveliest little person. And we're like opposites. Like, I was always talking and loud and she was quietly reading or studying. She's brilliant, of course, but it's. If I had tried to be like her or she had tried to be like me, then we wouldn't be able to be who God made us. Because I wasn't made to be like her and she wasn't made to be like me. She was made to be sweet. Sweet and gentle, and I was made to be crazy and loud. That's how God made us. But if I'm trying to be somebody else, if I see somebody else say, well, they get praised for that, or they're really good at that, I should try to be like them, then I don't get to be the full expression of who God made me. And so when we know who we are, then we stop that. We stop going, oh, that. Look at that. Or look at them or. Or I wish I could. And then it's easier to be who God made you and stay in your lane. I'm not trying to do the things that other people are doing because I know who I was made to be.
• 8:41
  Speaker A: How many of us spend so much time looking at other people going, oh, I wish I could be like that person, or if only I was more like this person, or I really want that job or position or the accolades or whatever it is. And we're comparing ourselves. I'm not as smart as that person or talented or beautiful or whatever it is. We spend so much time comparing ourselves to other people, and really all that does is destroy our identity of who God created you to be. You have such a unique position in life that God has created for you that you were specifically made for. Once you. You understand that and get rid of that comparison. That's where the freedom comes. I just have to be me. I have to be. I get to be the best me I can be. I don't have to worry about what anybody else is doing. I don't have to compare myself. God has a unique plan for me. For you. You just pursue that, your identity, who he created you to be. And that's where freedom comes.
• 9:42
  Speaker B: Yeah. And I think that helps us to clarify our purpose. It helps us to understand what we were made to do. Because like I said, if I'm busy trying to be somebody else, then I'm not going to refine the gifts that God has given me. I'm not going to develop the things that he's created me to do. When I was in college, I've always sung since I was little. I would literally constantly singing and you know, I was on the high school worship teams and I sang throughout high school. But then when I got to college, I was studying music and I'm in this choir of a hundred beautiful voices. And over those, especially the first, like two to three years, I became so self conscious about my gift that I would tremble every time I came to the mic. I rarely got a solo because I was so insecure about the gift that God had given me because I was comparing it to these hundred other people who were all amazing. And I didn't really allow that gift to be developed. It wasn't until my senior year where I started actually taking voice lessons and they started going like, oh, you actually have a really, a really nice voice. Like we should give you solos, we should put you on worship teams. Because I was just so scared to be, to be less than. And so when we stop that comparison and we say, what am I good at? What did God create me to do? Then we can really step into that purpose. And then I know what I can say yes to, I know what I can say no to. Because that's not my lane and I don't have to try to do that. I just get to be who God made me to be. And I love that I get to be who God made me to be. Like when I'm trying to be somebody else, that's actually kind of hard. That requires a lot of work. It requires me to go outside of my comfort zone or do things I wouldn't normally do, but when I just get to be me, there's so much freedom in that.
• 11:35
  Speaker A: Not that God's not going to stretch us from time to time or get us outside of our comfort zone, but really it's just operating out of who you know, God created you to be. And then you don't have to worry about. We spend so much energy trying to be somebody else and really that's not what God has for you. He has something way better. Just be you. But first we have to understand who he created us to be. But just going back to the story like Corina telling those things that we see about ourselves that maybe feel like weaknesses a lot of times are immature areas of strength that need refined through the process that God has with us. So like if you're a Corina where maybe you're a louder bossier kid. Maybe you just have a leadership quality that needs to be brought out and nurtured. And really good parents actually see that in their kids and bring it out. And God is the best parent. He knows all of those little quirky things inside of you that he said. Actually, I really love that, the way that I made you. And we're going to grow that into something that is really beautiful. Maybe if, if you're more shy or quiet, a lot of times those people are very strong critical thinkers or problem solvers. And so maybe you're like, oh, I wish I wasn't so shy, or I wish I was a little more outgoing. Maybe God's just created you to think deeply about problems in the world and bring incredible, brilliant solutions to those problems. That's just the way God operates. When you operate like that, you start to see how God has placed everybody uniquely in the body of Christ. And all those pieces snapped together, together into something beautiful to bring his kingdom to earth. It's so, so beautiful when we start to understand that.
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  Speaker B: I have a friend who just got a new job recently, and she was saying, I love how our team is built because we all have our own thing that we're really good at. And so I just get to do what I really enjoy doing and what I'm good at. And I don't have to. I'm not stepping on anybody's toes. Everybody just gets to be themselves. And I think it's such a good picture of how the body of Christ is created. We all have our place, and so we work together. We can do what we're made to do. And when I do what I'm made to do, then somebody else gets to do what they're made to do. And so that's just such a beautiful, beautiful picture. I think something else that holds us back is sometimes shame or failures, areas that we've had mistakes or failures in the past. But freedom comes when you stop identifying with who you used to be. You're not that person anymore. And 2 Corinthians 5, 17 says, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old is gone. You are a new creation. You're not who you used to be. Even if you were in Christ, you've always been in Christ. You know, like Josh and I, you were born under a pew. You never missed a Sunday. You know, maybe you feel like, I've made so many mistakes and I've always been in Christ. Well, that's okay, too. He's refining you. He's sanctifying you. You're not who you used to be, and you're not who your past says you are. And so remember that your past doesn't define you. God does.
• 14:36
  Speaker A: So many times we take on those failures and we don't just look at them as well, I made a mistake. It's actually I'm a mistake. We take it on as an identity, and that is so damaging. Your struggle is not your name.
• 14:49
  Speaker B: Yes.
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  Speaker A: Your mistake is not your identity. And you don't have to live in shame anymore because Jesus paid the price to set you free from all those past mistakes or even those harsh words that were said over you as a child. So many of us, somebody said something and you go, oh, that must be true. Because we get our identity from outside of ourselves. We can't really get it from our. From inside of us. And so we oftentimes receive that from our parents or our peers when we're growing up. And then we think, well, that must really be true about me. Have we ever stopped to take that before God and say, God, is that really true? Is that thing that somebody said about me or that mistake that I made, is that really who I am? Or was it just words that were said carelessly? And then we can just give that back to him and ask him what the truth is, and then we replace the lie with the truth. That's where we start to see that freedom that we all desperately need from the Lord.
• 15:44
  Speaker B: Yeah, right now I just see God taking off those labels that people have put on you. Like, I literally saw him just like removing the name tag, the names that people have called you, the things that you've identified yourself as. I'm a sinner. I'm not worthy. I'm unusable. All of those names that you have given yourself, I just saw him coming and ripping that off and giving you a new name, reminding you who he made you to be. So I just pray that God would just come and do that now over you, that you would allow him, as you identify those lies, those areas where you have believed something that's not true about yourself, that you would allow him to wash that place in you with the truth of who he made you to be.
• 16:29
  Speaker A: And maybe you struggled with this for a long time. Maybe you've labeled yourself or allowed others to label you with false identities, with lies that you believe for way too long. This is something that we help our clients with in our Clarity coaching program. We love to come beside people and say, let's ask the Lord, what lies are you believing about Yourself. What have you believed about yourself for way too long? Ask God what the truth is and then we replace those lies with the truth and renew your mind with the truth so that you can live out of your true identity. If that's something that you've struggled with and you just feel the Lord saying, you need to get free from this, check out our Clarity coaching program. It's@joshandkarina.com coaching go check out our website and we would love to work with you. Send us a message and get some more information about it. We would love to come beside you. The Holy Spirit always shows up so powerfully in these sessions to set people free from lies that have held them back for way too long. There is freedom for you. Check out our Clarity coaching program.
• 17:34
  Speaker B: What can you do when you're like, I know there's something that's maybe not true. Maybe I'm believing something that's not true about myself. It's as simple as Josh just said. Ask the Holy Spirit, is there a lie I'm believing about my identity? God, what do you say about me? And then I think the most important part, where I always see the biggest breakthrough is where we renounce the lie, start to declare the truth daily. Where you say, I'm breaking up with this. This is no longer true about me. It's never been true about me, but I am refuse to agree any longer. And then you start to declare the truth daily. What did God say to you when you asked him? What do you say about me? Start to say that over yourself every day. Not because you're hoping or wishing that it might come true someday, but because it already is true. Because it's what God says about you. And so we just begin morning, noon and night. This is what God says. I am a new creation. I am not labeled by my shame. My past does not define me. God does. And God says I'm amazing. Just begin to say those things, things over yourself multiple times a day. Anytime you feel those old lies starting to come up. Really makes a huge difference when we partner with the truth to step into our identity.
• 18:44
  Speaker A: Remember, it's so important for us to understand our identity and renew our minds with the truth and get new beliefs about ourselves because we can't consistently do what we don't believe we are. We always are operating out of our beliefs and out of our those deeply held beliefs about our identity. That is what creates action in our lives. So we have to actually be intentional about changing those beliefs until they are true and they align with what God says about you, then you start to see the freedom that you so desperately desire. So we need to renew our minds with the truth that God has spoken over us. And then the last step is just to start taking some small steps, maybe just one small step that aligns with this new identity that God has spoken over. You start to move forward into that identity. What would you do differently if you truly believed God's truth about you? And ask him, God, what is one small step I can take today to operate out of my true identity instead of that false one that I believed for way too long? And the thing is, once we start taking steps, that's part of the process of getting inside of us. And you start to see, I feel great. I feel free when I do that. I see actually a lot of results when I'm operating out of my identity. I see fruit coming out of my life that I didn't have before. Then that actually reinforces it. Oh, actually, that is true about me. That is so key. But sometimes we're just stuck kind of in the introspective process of, okay, I'm going to. I need to really work on this. Sometimes God says, let's just take a small step and start moving forward. And then that. That makes it a little bit easier. Even though that first step feels really hard, once you take it, you go, okay, yeah, I can operate out of my true identity. That has certainly helped me out so much in my life to see just the fruit when I started to trust God. Okay, what you said about me, I'm going to believe that's true, and I'm going to operate out of that. Makes all the difference in the world.
• 20:46
  Speaker B: So remember, God made you on purpose, for a purpose, and those things in your life that have felt difficult or maybe rub people the wrong way, that just might be something beautiful waiting to be refined and grown. Maybe a place of immaturity that God wants to bring beauty out of. He has a plan and purpose for your life, and he wants to use you for his glory. So ask him if there's a lie that you're believing and what he says about you, what is the truth that he wants you to know, and then just begin to declare that daily. It's going to make all the difference when you start to partner with who God says you are so that you can step into who he made you to be. Hey, friend. We have. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so, would you take 30 seconds to share this podcast with someone who may need encouragement or practical tools for
• 21:37
  Speaker A: fighting their battle, then rate and review this podcast. Help us spread the message of transformation far and wide.
• 21:44
  Speaker B: All right, time to walk back into the noise with peace, purpose, and maybe a tiny bit of guffing.
• 21:49
  Speaker A: We'll meet you back next Thursday for another episode. Bye.