God called me into the ministry of inner healing decades ago and from that came a passion to see people set free in Jesus Christ like I was. One of the most troubling concerns in my thirty-five years of pastoral lay ministry has been the issue of identity in both men and women. Most Christians do not know who they are in Christ to one degree or another. We all wear false labels or identities which can lead to a lot of confusion, loneliness, anxiety, failure, insecurity, depression, and fear, with a ripple effect that goes into our families and all interpersonal areas of our lives. Add to that once Satan can take the child of God down in the area of our image, he wins as we become isolated, depressed, ineffectual in life, and ultimately hopeless that we'll never change, or our circumstances will never change. This false identity also hinders us from putting the past sins, hurts, and deprivations behind us. And since insecurity and fear are at the top of the list for most of us, it leaves us not trusting in the One who created us in his image, in his likeness—to have purpose, to serve, to love and be loved, and to share in the abundant life the Father promised his children. The Bible says in John 8:32, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be freed indeed.” But it takes identifying what the false labels/identity is, then removing those labels and walking in the fullness of who our Lord always meant for each of us to be.

--Penny Wiser White

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