Who Do You Think You Are?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9–10, esv).
If you could use just a few words to describe who you are, what words would you choose?
Some people would say, “I’m my past. My bad choices hang over my life like a dark cloud.” Others would say, “I’m my performance. My parents raised me to think I had to be perfect, and I’m still trying.” Others admit, “I’m my problems,” or “I’m alone,” or “I’m a loser.”

“The Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you.”

But God describes you in a whole different way. First Peter 2:9 identifies you as: “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Do you belong to God? If so, He calls you His own! Will you let that truth bind itself to your heart? Maybe you’ve never truly felt wanted by anyone. Listen: the Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you, and apart from that you would not know God. That word “possession” literally means “to make around.” It’s the idea that God enclosed you for himself. He built a little jewelry box and put you in it. This one is mine. It’s an awesome thing to think about.
Now, let this truth filter down into your identity. I know that words fall immensely short of the healing you may need from years of hurt, but let your new perspective begin here. Let this truth silence the message of your past, your performance, your parents, or whatever. You are who God says you are!
The purpose of believing what 1 Peter 2:9 says about you isn’t just to feel better about yourself. The reason follows immediately in the next phrase: “that you may proclaim [his] excellencies.”
Your goal in rejecting those false identities is so you can tell people how awesome God is, not so you can tell people how awesome you are. He’s “called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Live fully in the power of who God himself has declared you to be.
God has changed your identity in His grace so you can proclaim to others the excellencies of His identity. Do it today.
Journal

• How would you describe your identity?
• What false identities do you need to exchange for who God says you are?

Pray
Lord, there’s great security and rich assurance of identity found in 1 Peter 2:9. I belong to You! Will You help me to see myself the way You see me, and to live out of the strength of that reality? I pray that as I rest in my true identity as Your child, You would empower me to proclaim the excellencies of You who called me out of darkness. Thank You for Your marvelous light! Thank You for Your mercy! I pray this in the redeeming name of Jesus, amen.