Identity Theft.

Who are you? If we were to sit down and have coffee together and I asked you that question, many of you would answer me either according to a role you fill or by who others say that you are. You would likely tell me you are a so & so's mother, so and so's wife or daughter. You might give an answer according to your occupation whether you are a teacher or retail clerk or a nurse. Though I am not a betting person, I would almost bet that who you think you are is not really who you are at all. Most of us are living out our lives through an identity that has been placed on us by others and we are not living up to our potential or anywhere close. Plain and simple that is identity theft and you are being ripped off! How do I know this? Because I have been ripped off too and it begins at birth; sometimes even while in the womb.

We are all familiar with Psalms 139 where we learn that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We know that we were knit together in our mother's womb. But our mother's had their own ideas about us and those ideas aren't always in line with the Lord's design and plans. Having an unusual name, I frequently am asked about the origin of it. My mother told me that she doesn't remember but I have my own thoughts. My father's name is Jon and knowing my father, I am sure he desired to have a son. That is not so unusual for most fathers. An identity is already being created for me and I'm not even yet born! Then, I appear four weeks early and guess what? I am a girl! Now they have to come up with a girls name because my father wants a child who will be named after him. One thing my parents and family members did to me during my childhood that was absolutely humiliating for me is that they still called me Jon for short. I absolutely hated being called Jon. As far as I was concerned that was identity theft because I was not a boy and I did not appreciate even once being called a boys name. I sure am glad that I was not born during this age where the world has such confusion about gender! I was not confused. I knew I was a girl and I wanted long hair like a girl. I wanted to be pretty like a girl and those things were denied me.

But guess what? God gets His way in spite of the ignorance of others. My name Jonica has the exact same meaning as the name John or Jon. It means God is gracious. I used to think it suited me well because my father used to call me "Grace" on occasion; always an occasion where I tripped or knocked something over. He was reminding me how graceful I was not. There it is again, identity theft! Now I know the truth. God named me Jonica because has called me to be an expression of His grace to the world. Do you see the difference?

Sometimes more than the words that others speak, the behavior of others towards us effects us. We tend to evaluate ourselves by how others treat us. I remember as a child we had dog that was not allowed in the house. He was hitched up outdoors and even in the cold winter months, my folks would put bales of hay around the dog house to keep him warm, but not let him inside. He had food and water and that was it. He was ignored the rest of the time. As a ten-year-old child I remember confessing to the Lord that I felt no better off than that dog. I had my basic needs met such as food, clothing, and a roof over my head but there was no love. I was not nurtured or validated as a child but instead was constantly shamed and belittled. As a result of my parents behavior toward me, I grew up believing that I had no worth or value, and that I was not lovable. I know now that they did not realize they were victims of identity theft themselves and that those feelings and emotions that flooded my broken heart were of a false sense of identity. Though I have not yet fully arrived, I am still walking into my new identity in Christ. I am in process. No matter the circumstances of your own life, you are in process. You too can recover your stolen identity!

I remember when my first child was born.

Natalie Hope.

Because of the lack of nurturing in my childhood, I had never known what it was like to truly feel bonded with another person. I had people I liked and a few I loved but I never ever felt a sense of genuine attachment. That changed when Natalie was born. It was so humbling to have this little life so dependent on me. I was head over heals in love and especially being in a marriage that was not healthy, she became my entire world. Everything was about her. I had a new identity and I threw my entire being into it. While being a mom was a good thing, once again I unknowingly became a victim of identity theft! I was trying to be the mom I wish my mom had been. In that, I lost who I was in Christ. Yes, it was in the Lord's plan for me to be a mother but not for that to be all that I was.

After being unequally yolked to someone who was not a believer, the one thing I said I would never do; I did not consider the plans that Lord had. I assumed the deal was off and so I continued to try to survive a marriage that didn't have a chance to begin with. I had my second child, Kaleb Michael. During this time some

well-meaning family members said to me "Why would you want another child with him?" Kaleb was already having a false identity placed upon him by others while he was still in the womb. Here is an open door to a spirit of rejection. In fact, to this day, there are those in my family that are more accepting of Natalie than Kaleb. They will buy little gifts for Natalie but never Kaleb. I was 7 months pregnant with Kaleb when their father and I separated. I now had something else to add to my identity as a mother. I was no longer just a mom but a "divorced single mom". Looking back I can see the pattern of rejection playing out in both my life and in the lives of my children. Identity theft will always repeat itself in the next generation if it is not dealt with and corrected.

As common in divorce, my children had a different identity in each home. They had one identity with me and another identity with their father. That is only to be expected, especially when they were used as pawns to get back at me. It's no wonder God hates divorce. We need to be very careful

who we allow ourselves to be yolked with. Being yolked to an unbeliever should not even be an option for us those of us who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 1 Corinthians 6:14-15 I had no idea the wickedness that I would effect our lives as a result of being out of the will of God. The man I had married had a secret identity. While there were some character flaws I chose to not see, I was blinded to what was hidden. I had no idea he would an abuser. Once again, identity theft rises it's ugly head now in an extreme measure! The devil came to steal, kill, and destroy what God created and now I have a choice. I can raise my children as victims (continue to let the enemy steal their identity) or I can speak God-given identity over them!

See, we have a dream thief in our midst. John 10:10 says: A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, kill, and destroy. But My desire is to give you everything in abundance,more than you expected—life in its fullness until you overflow! - Passion translation. Who is this dream thief, this identity thief? 1 Peter 5:8b Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. See, you were created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) The enemy hates that image that you were created in and he will do everything he can to keep you from bearing that image so he creates havoc in your life. He sets you up with sinister circumstances in your life that will be door openers for him to have access so that he can hijack that image of God that you bear; those God-like characteristics of your personality that was fashioned by God Himself.

Your earthly personality is a combination of psychological, intellectual, emotional and physical attributes. It is shaped by your upbringing, your environment, your training and modeling. It is formed into behavior patterns and can be positive or negative. We talk about our biological DNA all the time but we forget we have a spiritual DNA that is eternal. God wants to give you a picture of your spiritual DNA, that part of His image that you bear. Once you get a hold if that image, He will always speak to you out of true identity, not from who you are based on your upbringing, environment, circumstances, or what others say about you.

In Matthew 16:13 Jesus asked his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter saw Jesus's heavenly identity and answered accordingly. Jesus didn't ask the question because he was confused about his identity. He wanted to them to see "This is who I am. This is what I am here for. This is what I am doing. I am so much more than a carpenter's son". In verse 17 Peter went from being Simon son of Jonah to Peter. In the Hebrew language, the name Simon means "he has heard." Peter means stone or rock. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Upon the revelation of who Jesus truly is, Peter is no longer one who has merely heard. Verse 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Let's break this down a little further. That word "revealed" in the Hebrew literally means "to take off the cover."

You have an identity here on the earth that is distorted by your experiences and opinions of others. The way you see you is not the way you are known by the Lord. Likewise, the way others see you is not the way you are know by Him. We need to stop seeing ourselves by what we see or don't see when we look in the mirror. We are looking at the wrong reflection. We need to stop looking through the mirror of how other's see us and look into the mirror of God's Word. Jesus knew who He was because He knew who His Father was. "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." - John 14:9

There are many examples in the bible of those who recovered their true identity. Look at Moses. He was "abandoned" by his mother. To preserve his life, she put him in a basket and floated him down the river. He ended up being raised in Pharaoh's house. We have identity theft right there even though socially, Moses had a significant upgrade. He then had to flee and tended sheep on the back side of the desert. Again, identity theft! God did not deal with Moses according to his earthly personality and identity. He would not even acknowledge that Moses was a stutterer. Did you know that God will not even acknowledge you excuses or reasons why? When He showed himself to Moses, He dealt with Moses and spoke to Moses according to Moses' heavenly identity - a deliverer of God's people.

Look at King David. His tribe was the smallest tribe in Israel. He was the youngest of his brothers and he looked after the sheep. He was not even included with his brothers when Samuel showed up. Yet, David became a mighty King and was known as a man after God's own heart. He may have been known as just a shepherd boy by his family but He was already known as the King of Israel by God and that is how God dealt with him.

We have so many examples like Joseph who has hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, Daniel who was also sold into Slavery, Ester who was taken into the King's harem yet God already knew her as a "redeemer queen". Look at the disciples. Jesus did not relate to them by who they were by natural profession. He simply said "Come and follow me". Look at Paul. He was know as Saul but became Paul.

The Lord see's what is hidden, yet to be revealed. He see's the potential because He is the master crafter of the original design. He is longing to take the cover off and reveal your identity in Heaven! The key to knowing who you are is to fully know who Jesus is. If you are made in the image of God, then getting to know God better is a key factor in you knowing your true identity because it is in Him.

There is a book written about you in Heaven. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.Psalm 139:16 You need to find out what is in that book. You need to find our what Heaven says about you. Ask the Lord to show you, to reveal to you what is in that book. Ask Him to take the lid off! I think we need a coming out party! Will the real you please stand up?

One final word. Let's remember that it's not all about us. Let's also ask the Lord to reveal Christ in one another and let's encourage each other not in our earthly identities and personalities but with Heaven's perspective. So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life. - 1 Corinthians 5:16-17 Amplified.

So, apart from your relationships, your environment, your education, what you do and where you live, who are you? What does Heaven say about you? What is God's original design for you? It's time to stop letting the devil rip us off and reclaim those stolen identities!! Let the real you stand up!!