Preface: Today we’re bringing you a special treat in the form of a sneak peek into one of our most recent live events! If you’re already part of our private Facebook group, you know we’ve got an ongoing schedule of uplifting livestreams and fun community events to serve you, our incredible Focus Fix Fam, and to create space for you to connect with each other. Most recently, our very own Ashlee Hiles led us through a virtual Bible Study as we took a look at this month’s Focus Fix theme from a spiritual perspective. We heard you loud and clear, friends–you loved this message! So much so, in fact, that we decided to share that message with all of our readers here as well.
We hope this leaves your soul refreshed and ready to reclaim your identity. And hey…if you like this, you’d LOVE being part of our live Focus Fix Bible Studies that happen every month. Find those, and so much more exclusive bonus content, in our Focus Fix Fam Facebook group!
Without further ado, brew that coffee or steep your fave tea, and enjoy this special look at Ashlee’s message on Identity!
An Identity Worth Believing
We’ve all heard it said at one point or another that “words matter.” But I’m not convinced we fully understand just how true that statement is.
Words - even the ones we speak silently to ourselves - have great influence. So it genuinely matters how we use them.
Let’s look at how God Himself uses words. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters . . . and it was so” (Genesis 1:6-7). “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so” (Genesis 1:9). “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so” (Genesis 1:11).
What do these verses reveal about how God Himself uses words? God uses words to create, to give life, to literally speak things into being. Our words, as humans, have influence, but only God’s words have power. What I mean by that is that our words don’t create or destroy life, but they do promote life as they build up and promote death as they tear down our emotions and consequently disturb our spiritual growth. Proverbs 18:21 speaks to this by saying, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue . . . ”
“Our words, as humans, have influence, but only God’s words have power.”
But it’s not just spoken words - the words we actually speak out loud - that promote life or death. The words you speak silently to yourself, to your own soul, are just as important. Matthew 12:35 says, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”
The Greek word for “treasure” here is “thēsauros,” which can also be translated as “a place in which good and precious things are collected and laid up; a treasury.” What’s also interesting to note is that this word “thēsauros” is from where our English word “thesaurus” is derived, which, as you know, is used to describe a physical collection, or container, of words. Our hearts and minds are also containers, and like a thesaurus, they are full of words. From every word you have ever learned and know to the words others have spoken to you and about you, to the words you speak to yourself. Your soul is a thēsauros.
“Our hearts and minds are also containers, and like a thesaurus, they are full of words. From every word you have ever learned and know to the words others have spoken to you and about you, to the words you speak to yourself.”
We use all kinds of words to describe ourselves and store in our thēsauros. The words we store in our souls consist of roles, nationalities, positions, personality traits, opinions, political stances, emotional conditions, physical traits, spiritual conditions, and the list goes on. This isn’t something that’s “new” by any means. We see this all throughout Scripture as well. I realized that often, when I identify myself, I start with the words, “I am.” I am a wife. I am an American. I am a Christian. I am an Administrative Assistant. In the Bible, the phrase “I am” is used 2,295 times. People, including God Himself, identify themselves 2,295 times.
Out of all these examples, one in particular stands out to me. In Exodus 4, God speaks to Moses and calls him to go to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery. While this would likely be an incredibly intimidating call to anyone, God promises Moses that he won’t do it alone, nor in his own strength or power. But rather, God is going to accomplish this colossal mission through Moses. “And he [God] said, Certainly I will be with thee” (Exodus 3:12). Nonetheless, in Exodus 4:10, we see Moses’ response:
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Many theological scholars believe that Moses had some kind of speech impediment, probably a stutter. Here, we see Moses identify himself by that disability. But what else do we know about Moses? Looking at Scripture, Exodus 2:2 tells us that Moses was beautiful. We know that Moses was chosen by God to deliver an entire nation out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:1-10). We know that Moses was a prince of Egypt (Exodus 2:10) and a shepherd (Exodus 3:1). He was the biological son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 2:1-2), the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:10), brother to Aaron and Miriam (Exodus 4:14, 15:20), husband to Zipporah (Exodus 2:21), and a father to Gershom and Eliezer (1 Chronicles 23:15). And he was God’s faithful servant (Hebrews 3:5), a man of great faith (Hebrews 11:24-29).
“Here, we see Moses identify himself by that disability.”
Moses could have chosen any one of those things by which to identify himself. And yet, he chose to identify himself by his disability, by his struggle.
Think about that for a moment. There were so many good things Moses could have identified himself by, but instead, he chose his struggle. How often do we, as people who have chronic illnesses and disabilities and our more-than-fair share of struggles, choose to identify ourselves by those things? I know I do! And it’s easy, right? When our health struggles are literally all-consuming at times, when our full-time jobs are our health, when it seems like our whole lives are our illnesses, it’s so easy to identify ourselves accordingly.
“Who you are, and what you struggle with, are not the same thing.”
But hear me when I say this: Who you are, and what you struggle with, are not the same thing.
Satan is the enemy of your soul, and he would love nothing more than to stifle you with self-condemnation, lies, and discouraging words so that what is in your thēsauros becomes a mess of lies and labels that control you. He would love nothing more than for you to keep labeling yourself with the same old negative, untruthful stuff you’ve developed a habit of listing.
But let’s look back at the definition of a thēsauros: “a place in which good and precious things are collected and laid up.” Your soul - your heart and your mind - were created to hold good and precious things - good, pleasant, truthful words. Why? Because if you are a Christian, if you have confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead, your identity is now defined by grace (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:10). Your identity is no longer defined by sin, by the labels others have placed on you, by the labels you’ve placed on yourself, and especially not by your struggles be it chronic illness, disability, or any of the other hundreds of things we, as humans in a fallen world, struggle with. You are now defined by grace.
As we continue to navigate this month of redefining our identities, here’s my challenge for you:
Take some time to investigate your thēsauros.
What identity words fill up your soul? If your thēsauros is filled with lies, don’t beat yourself up. This is a great place to start replacing the lies with truth and start identifying yourself by grace.
Determine to establish godly thinking when it comes to your identity.
Want to know who you are at the very unchanging core of your identity? Turn to Scripture. Here are some great verses to get you started: Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 5:14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 1:21-23, 2 Corinthians 3:12, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 139:14.
Commit your thoughts to God.
Proverbs 16:3 promises that if we commit our works to the Lord, our thoughts shall be established on a firm foundation of truth. The next time the lies start filling your thēsauros, replace them with the truth of who you are as found in God’s Word.
It is possible to gain control over your thoughts. God knows your needs, his grace is sufficient for all that we lack (2 Corinthians 12:9), and God’s Spirit grants you control over your thoughts. But the change starts with you. Commit your thoughts to God and rely on His powerful Word to redefine your identity. Don’t make a mistake and think this is easy work. If you’re really diving into the Focus Fix theme this month, you already know this ain’t easy. When we start doing the work to align our thoughts with God’s thoughts, we will be met with opposition as Satan will try to remind us of our limitations and struggles, shaking us into defining ourselves according to lies. That’s why relying on what God says through Scripture to determine our identity is so important, because Satan cannot stand against the Word of God.
So, as you talk to yourself today, tell yourself to commit your way to God - one word, one thought at a time - and tell your soul to rely on God’s Word more than on your own words.
Remember Moses? The guy who identified himself by his struggle? After some more back-and-forth with God, Moses went to Egypt and proceeded to rescue the Israelites from slavery through the power of God. For a while, he continued to identify himself by his disability, his stutter, but God continued to remind Moses of who he truly was. I’m not sure when it was exactly, but at some point, Moses must have realized that who he was and what he struggled with were not the same thing, because he went on to be one of the most impactful, God-fearing leaders Israel would ever have. And guess what? A huge part of his role as a leader was to use his words - the very thing he was most insecure about - to lead the Israelites well.
And that is my hope for you too, friend - that you would stop identifying yourself by your struggle, and through God’s power, refine your thēsauros, fully stepping into your God-given identity, and fulfill the purpose for which you were created.
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Written by: Ashlee Hiles
A watercolor artist, fellow chronic illness warrior, cat lady, morning person, writer, speaker, and People Hope’s very own Administrative Assistant. What can’t this lady do?! Ashlee is the powerhouse behind so much of what we do around here! But more impressive than her talent is her heart. If you know her, you love her! To shed light on a few lesser-known deets, Ash married her husband, Micah, in 2020, has re-learned how to walk twice, dreams of cage diving with Great White Sharks someday, and has a very niche obsession with Dot's Honey Mustard Seasoned Pretzel Twists. Pretzels and all, we love Ashlee and her trademark passion to share the message that, with God, we can hold both pain and joy in the same hand.
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