Who are You? By Mayada Naami

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (Galatians 5:16-21, NIV).

Sunday night I watched the 2019 movie Overcomer, and I was blown away by the theme of the movie. In one of the scenes, one character asks another “Who are you?” His response was interesting. They were both Christians and his response was a worldly response. He saw himself the way the world sees him rather than seeing himself though God’s lens. He listed his identity relying on what culture says he is, based on job status, financial status, etc. Being a Christian was very low on the list. The theme of the movie was finding one’s identity in Christ based on Ephesians 1 and 2 rather than identifying with the world’s view of one’s identity. At the end of the movie, a troubled 15-year-old named Hannah seeks her identity in Scriptures and states, “I am a child of God” and realizes her identity in Christ says she is loved, she is chosen, she is redeemed, she is blessed, and she is forgiven.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

(Ephesians 1:3–10, NIV)

Interestingly, I watched this movie after hearing a sermon this weekend at Gateway Church where Pastor Robert Morris started a series called “Identity.” He preached on spiritual warfare and how there is a war against our children today. He said they are confused in their identity, and we need to help them understand that the Creator created them with certain inalienable rights, and that they were born equal and are children of God if they believe in Jesus Christ. He said because Satan is going after our children, we as a church; the body of Christ, need to go after our children. We must teach our children that their identity is in Christ and who He says they are. The movie was a confirmation to me that God is calling us to seek out and teach our children about their identity in Jesus Christ.

As some of you may know, I published a book for women in 2021 called Spiritual Rebirth, Thirst No More and halfway through writing the book the Holy Spirit said to me: Write a book for the younger generation. He said, Bring me the children. I called my publisher and asked if we could publish a second book, and they said yes.

I went on to write a 25-page book for middle-school-aged girls to help them find their identity in Christ. The book is called, Let Your Light Shine Bright. I wanted to reach young girls before the enemy attacked their mind. The Lord has been calling me to minister to the younger generation for the last twelve years. I feel strongly that the enemy is attacking the minds of our children through social media, television and in many cases, lack of godly family structure. Without a solid foundation based on the Word of God, our children are at risk of losing their God-given identity. As brothers and sisters in Christ we must stand together in unity and fight against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. (Ephesians 6:12)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:1-5, NIV).

Who are you?

Reflect

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Prayer

Lord, help me to see myself through Your eyes and not through the lens of the world. Help me to believe that I am loved, chosen, redeemed, blessed, and forgiven in Jesus’ name.