Be Confident in Whose You Are
By Rick Warren
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12 NIV).
When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he was defining himself. He was saying, “I know who I am.” At least 18 times in the Bible, Jesus said, “I am” and then gave a description. He described himself as the door, the bread of life, the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life. Over and over, he defined himself. Jesus knew who he was (and still is) and, as a result, he was not under pressure.
This is the principle of identity. As long as you are unsure of your identity, you’re going to be pressured to fit into other people’s molds. They will manipulate you. They will try to make you into what they think you ought to be, rather than what God made you to be.
One of the major causes of stress comes from trying to be somebody that you’re not. When you are fearful that someone’s going to find out what you’re really like and that you might not be able to keep up the façade, it causes stress.
The only way you can counterbalance outside external pressures is to have an internal sense of satisfaction about who you are and who God made you to be. You discover who you are by knowing whose you are.
The Bible says that you were created by God. You are deeply loved by him. You are accepted as you are. He has a plan for your life. Until you settle this issue of identity, you will be insecure and you will be pressured by stress. You cannot serve other people until you settle this issue.
Jesus constantly did things that surprised everybody else. He put himself below others and served them. None of the other disciples would have ever thought to wash each other’s feet in the Upper Room because of their insecurity. But Jesus always served from a position of strength. He knew who and whose he was, so it didn’t matter that he lowered himself to serve them.
Service comes from self-esteem. Until you overcome your insecurity and feel good about yourself, you won’t feel like helping anyone else. Be secure in who you are and whose you are so that you can effectively serve others.
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
December 201612/31/2016
One of the major causes of stress comes from trying to be somebody that you’re not.
12/30/2016
12/29/2016
12/28/2016
12/27/2016
12/26/2016
12/25/2016
You’ve likely heard about the “peace that passes all understanding,” but you’ve probably never experienced it.
12/24/2016
12/23/2016
12/22/2016
12/21/2016
12/20/2016
12/19/2016
12/18/2016
God wants you to trust him one day at a time.
12/17/2016
12/16/2016
12/15/2016
12/14/2016
12/13/2016
12/12/2016
12/11/2016
When everything’s changing around you, it’s important to remember that God is a consistent Father.
12/10/2016
12/09/2016
12/08/2016
12/07/2016
12/06/2016
12/05/2016
12/04/2016
It’s going to take more than your willpower to stop worrying. It takes four things.
12/03/2016
12/02/2016
12/01/2016
November 201611/30/2016
11/28/2016
11/27/2016
11/26/2016
Our sinful nature causes us to often make the wrong choice.
11/25/2016
11/24/2016
11/23/2016
11/22/2016
11/21/2016
11/20/2016
11/19/2016
Paul didn’t just pray for people in his life. He prayed with joy!
11/18/2016
11/17/2016
11/16/2016
11/15/2016
11/14/2016
11/13/2016
What do you remember about people — the good experiences or the bad experiences?
11/12/2016
11/11/2016
11/10/2016
11/09/2016
11/08/2016
11/07/2016
11/06/2016
Regardless of your circumstances and how you feel, hang on to God’s unchanging character.
11/05/2016
11/04/2016
11/03/2016
11/02/2016
11/01/2016
October 201610/31/2016
10/30/2016
10/29/2016
Reconciliation means re-establishing the relationship. Resolution means resolving every issue.
10/28/2016
10/27/2016
10/26/2016
10/25/2016
10/24/2016
10/23/2016
God’s Word will never change your life until you let it become personal.
10/22/2016
10/21/2016
10/20/2016
10/19/2016
10/18/2016
10/17/2016
10/16/2016
What can you learn from Jesus Christ that will lower the stress in your life?
10/15/2016
10/14/2016
10/13/2016
10/12/2016
10/11/2016
10/10/2016
10/09/2016
If you want margin in your life, you must periodically prune your activities.
10/08/2016
10/07/2016
10/06/2016
10/05/2016
10/04/2016
10/03/2016
10/02/2016
10/01/2016
What are you taking to Heaven? Only two things: your character and your skills.
September 201609/30/2016
09/29/2016
09/28/2016
09/27/2016
09/26/2016
09/25/2016
It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But sometimes what we can’t stand is when they get a promotion.
09/24/2016
09/23/2016
09/22/2016
09/21/2016
09/20/2016
09/19/2016
09/18/2016
God wants you to grow up spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ.
09/17/2016
09/16/2016
09/15/2016
09/14/2016
09/13/2016
09/12/2016
09/11/2016
09/10/2016
God created you to become like Christ. He wants you to grow up spiritually!
09/09/2016
09/08/2016
09/07/2016
09/06/2016
09/05/2016
09/04/2016
09/03/2016
As followers of Christ, we need to remember to be generous.
09/02/2016
09/01/2016
August 201608/31/2016
08/30/2016
08/29/2016
08/28/2016
08/27/2016
Discipleship is the process of becoming like Christ.
08/26/2016
08/25/2016
08/24/2016
08/23/2016
08/22/2016
08/21/2016
Your choices are far more powerful than your circumstances.
08/20/2016
08/19/2016
08/18/2016
08/17/2016
08/16/2016
08/15/2016
08/14/2016
08/13/2016
How do you let go and let God? First, you have to make Jesus the manager of your life.
08/12/2016
08/11/2016
08/10/2016
08/09/2016
08/08/2016
08/07/2016
08/06/2016
One of the pitfalls you may face as you fulfill your purpose in life is temptation to take shortcuts.
08/05/2016
08/04/2016
08/03/2016
08/02/2016
08/01/2016
July 201607/31/2016
Satan’s favorite tool to diminish your faith is the fear of failure.
07/30/2016
07/29/2016
07/28/2016
07/27/2016
07/26/2016
07/25/2016
07/24/2016
Death exposes our hidden fears.
07/23/2016
07/22/2016
07/21/2016
07/20/2016
07/19/2016
07/18/2016
07/17/2016
07/16/2016
You only learn what Jesus is really like in the storms of life.
07/15/2016
07/14/2016
07/13/2016
07/12/2016
07/11/2016
07/10/2016
07/09/2016
Whenever you’re thinking short-term, you can’t see what God’s doing in your life.
07/08/2016
07/07/2016
07/06/2016
07/05/2016
07/04/2016
07/03/2016
Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah.
07/02/2016
07/01/2016
June 201606/30/2016
06/29/2016
06/28/2016
06/27/2016
06/26/2016
06/25/2016
Here’s the secret to temptation: Don’t fight it. Just refocus.
06/24/2016
06/23/2016
06/22/2016
06/21/2016
06/20/2016
06/19/2016
If you want healing, you’ve got to stop concealing.
06/18/2016
06/17/2016
06/16/2016
06/15/2016
06/14/2016
06/13/2016
06/12/2016
06/11/2016
The Bible tells us that bread represents four things.
06/10/2016
06/09/2016
06/08/2016
06/07/2016
06/06/2016
06/05/2016
06/04/2016
When everything’s changing around you, it’s important to remember that God is a consistent Father.
06/03/2016
06/02/2016
06/01/2016
May 201605/31/2016
05/30/2016
05/29/2016
05/28/2016
Being grateful is a choice.
05/27/2016
If you want to have healthy relationships, then start with an attitude of gratitude.
05/26/2016
05/25/2016
05/24/2016
05/23/2016
05/22/2016
05/21/2016
Marriage does not create problems. It reveals them.
05/20/2016
05/19/2016
05/18/2016
05/17/2016
05/16/2016
05/15/2016
05/14/2016
Trust takes years to build and can be lost in one second of gossip.
05/13/2016
05/12/2016
05/11/2016
05/10/2016
05/09/2016
05/08/2016
05/07/2016
God created marriage for the construction of society.
05/06/2016
05/05/2016
05/04/2016
05/03/2016
05/02/2016
05/01/2016
April 201604/30/2016
Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don’t deserve.
04/29/2016
04/28/2016
04/27/2016
04/26/2016
04/25/2016
04/24/2016
04/23/2016
Forgiveness may be the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood quality in our culture.
04/22/2016
04/21/2016
04/20/2016
04/19/2016
04/18/2016
04/17/2016
04/16/2016
Jesus said that the most important thing we should do is love God and love other people.
04/15/2016
04/14/2016
04/13/2016
04/12/2016
04/11/2016
04/10/2016
God wired the universe in such a way that we need each other.
04/09/2016
04/08/2016
04/07/2016
04/06/2016
04/05/2016
04/04/2016
04/03/2016
04/02/2016
Have you been trying to sail to your dreams on your own power?
04/01/2016
March 201603/31/2016
03/30/2016
03/29/2016
03/28/2016
03/27/2016
God nailed everything that separated you from himself to the cross.
03/26/2016
03/25/2016
03/24/2016
03/23/2016
03/22/2016
03/21/2016
Is Jesus who he says he is?
03/20/2016
03/19/2016
03/18/2016
03/17/2016
03/16/2016
03/15/2016
03/14/2016
This is the most basic truth of Christianity: Jesus Christ has already paid for your sins.
03/13/2016
03/12/2016
03/11/2016
03/10/2016
03/09/2016
03/08/2016
03/07/2016
03/06/2016
03/05/2016
03/04/2016
03/03/2016
03/02/2016
God’s grace is entirely wrapped up in a person: Jesus.
03/01/2016
Imagine tracing the very footsteps of Jesus as you’re caught up in the wonder and power of his great love for you. This stunning book from Pastor Rick allows you to see the story of Jesus come to life like never before as together you dive into the fascinating biblical and historical facts related to each stop Jesus made along the way to the cross.
