I haven’t been to see the live action Lion King yet, but the original came out when our kids were small.  I’ve probably seen it 100 times.  Spoiler alert here, if you missed it, but a crucial moment in the movie comes when Simba has a spiritual encounter with his father who appeals to Simba with all the authority of that James Earl Jones voice, “Simba, remember who you are!”

Do you know who you are?

I’m the sort of person who can get carried away in the moment.  How things are going has an affect on how I see myself.  In good times and hard times, it’s easy for me to forget that I am God’s child, part of a royal priesthood, I call God, “Father.”  I am welcome at his table.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ Jesus lives in me.  I am never alone.  I am never forgotten.  Never forsaken.  And God invites me to represent him as his child and a citizen in his kingdom.  This is not because God needs my help, for he certainly does not.  It is simply because of who I am – his child.

It’s easy to forget.

Last night, I was reminded of Ephesians 1:5 – that through Christ, we are adopted as son and daughters.  We looked again at Ephesians 2:1-10.  It’s a free gift – not something we’ve earned.  “for we have been saved by grace through faith – this is not of ourselves.  It’s the free gift of God.”  The work we do, the works God has in mind for us to do, flow from the new identity God has given us.  He won’t love us any more if we succeed.  He won’t love us any less if we fail.  And he will not ever cease to call us his beloved child.

What helps you remember?

Earlier this summer, we spent a week of family vacation in the Venice, Florida area.  We’ve been vacationing there as a family since 2003.  There’s something about Venice sunsets that remind me who God is and who I am.  Prayer helps, too.  There’s something about praising God for who he is, and taking time to examine my heart before him that reminds me of who I am.  Good music does it.  A good book.  My small group helps, too.  Time with brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage me to keep pursuing Christ, who speak into my life, and who pray with me.

I’m thinking I’m not the only one who gets forgetful.  What reminds you?  May this be a reminder.  You are precious in the eyes of God the Father, worth the blood of God the Son, and called to be filled with God the Spirit!

If you want to learn more about finding our identity in Christ, check out the Covenant Triangle Tool.