Remember Who You Are
Your identity is not something you have to earn through performance or lose because of failure. It’S something you receive from God and learn to live from.
That was the heart of Pastor Mike O’Connell’s message from Isaiah 43.
He opened with a familiar scene from The Lion King. After Mufasa dies, Scar convinces Simba that the tragedy was his fault and tells him to run away. Simba believes him. He doesn’t stop being Mufasa’s son, but he begins living as if that part of his identity is no longer true.
That picture raises an important question: who or what has shaped the way you see yourself?
Sometimes a painful moment happens, a belief gets attached to it, and over time that belief starts influencing the way we move through life. Something hurts us, we begin believing something about ourselves because of it, and then we start living from that place.
Identity Is Received, Not Achieved
Isaiah 43 was written to people who had made real mistakes and were living with the consequences. Israel had rebelled against God, and Isaiah 42 ends with language about blindness, disobedience, and judgment. Then chapter 43 begins with two words: “But now.”
God doesn’t begin by listing everything they did wrong. He reminds them of what He has done.
“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.’” Isaiah 43:1
Look at the verbs. God created. God formed. God redeemed. God called. Their identity wasn’t built on getting everything right. It was rooted in the God who still called them His. The same is true for us. Our work can tell us how we’re doing. Other people can have opinions about us. Success and disappointment can shape a season. But none of those things have to become the final word on who we are.
When we build our identity mostly around what we do, what we have, or what other people think, it can feel shaky. Jobs change. Seasons end. Approval comes and goes. That’s why it matters to let our identity begin somewhere more secure. We don’t have to work our way into being loved by God. We get to live from the love He has already given us.
Pressure Doesn’t Have to Redefine You
Isaiah 43:2 doesn’t promise a life without difficulty. It says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”
The water still comes. The rivers still rise. Hard seasons still happen. God’s promise is that He is with us in the middle of them.
Difficult seasons can make us question things we once felt sure about. A disappointment can make us wonder where God is. A failure can make us question ourselves. Pressure can make everything feel less clear. But a hard season does not have to become the thing that defines us.
That’s why it matters what we do with pain when it comes. We can bring it to God honestly and let Scripture remind us of what is still true, even when our circumstances feel uncertain. God’s presence is not measured only by whether the pressure disappears. Sometimes His faithfulness looks like meeting us right in the middle of it.
Your Identity Has a Purpose
Knowing who you are is not only about feeling more secure. In Isaiah 43, God reminds Israel who they are and then reminds them why they are here.
“Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory.” Isaiah 43:7
Later, He tells them, “You are my witnesses.” Their identity had a purpose. They belonged to God, and their lives were meant to point people toward Him. The same is true for us. We hear a lot about purpose, calling, and destiny, but those things become clearer when we know where our identity comes from. When we know whose we are, we don’t have to spend all our energy trying to prove who we are.
We can begin to live from it. God has given you gifts, relationships, opportunities, and places of influence. Those things matter, but they do not have to carry the weight of defining you. They can simply become places where the identity God has already given you gets lived out.
Remember What God Has Already Said
At the end of The Lion King, Simba has to remember something that was true the entire time. He was still Mufasa’s son. Shame had not changed that. Distance had not changed that. Running had not changed that. He simply needed to remember.
There are moments when we need that reminder too. A hard season does not get to rename you. A failure does not have to become your identity. Someone else’s opinion does not have to carry more weight than what God has already said. If you are in Christ, your identity is rooted in what He has done for you.
Created. Known. Redeemed. Called. His. Maybe this week, instead of asking, “Who am I?” try asking:
What has God already said is true about me?
Then give yourself time to sit with the answer.
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