identity

I love the story of Ruth and I always get so much from it.  Naomi is what really stood out this time around. Naomi actually means pleasantness.  She was a blessed woman. But, as a famine came upon Israel,  she and her husband and two sons moved to the land of Moab from Bethlehem-Judah to ease their plight. While there, her two sons married. She then experienced tragedy as both her sons and her husband died!  Naomi headed home to Bethlehem-Judah.  When she got there, all her family and friends were so excited to see her.    "And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." Ruth 1:20 KJV    Mara means bitter.
She actually wanted her name changed to reflect the bitterness that she had experienced and continued to allow to rule her heart and mind. She seemed to even blame God for her situation.  As time went by, she was once again blessed because her daughter in law Ruth loved her and obeyed. Ruth bore a stone that Naomi was able to care for and be grandmother to. She was praised and restored.
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord , which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
Ruth 4:14‭-‬15 KJV

Why did Naomi's story seem so exciting? She lost so much and experienced great bitterness.  We can identify with this part of life.   Naomi tried to change her very name, her identity  to "bitterness". She actually told others to call her "Bitter!" At that time, all she saw for herself was the brokenness and sorrow.  She didn't believe it would ever end. She may have even went home to basically wait for her life to end as well.

There are times we go through, that are greatly bitter and hard. We experience loss and sorrow, pain and struggle. We may identify with Naomi and feel like this season will never end for us. We may be on the verge of giving up. We may just as well say "My name is Bitter!"

I recently watched a movie where one of the characters was asked, "Who are you?" He struggled to say who he was. He named his job, his interests, positions and finally came to saying he was a christian. He realized he really needed to find his identity in Christ first. The rest of it can fail and change, but Jesus never fails. 

We can allow circumstances and our past failures to dictate our identity.  We will answer to that identity, live it, wallow in it. We see ourselves as lost, broken and destroyed.  It will determine our next choices and decision and our actions. Our thoughts are dwelling on those bitter feelings. It permeates every part of us.

But God sees more than we do. God had a great plan for Naomi. She was instrumental in the very genealogy of Jesus Christ. Her story is just as important as Ruth's story. She was named "Pleasantness" for  reason. She was given back that pleasantness by the end of the book.  God never forgot His plan or whom she was intended to be. She was the pleasant one in the lives of those around her.  She was important.

We need to realize that God sees our purposed identity.  He does not see us as broken and destroyed, but He sees His child.  He sees our intended purpose and position. He sees pleasantness and blessing. He sees what He wants to give to us and do for us and through us.  Our identity should be found in Him alone. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We cannot continue in our broken state and be in the will of God. We need to ask God to show us His plan and will for our life, then live it.

He designed us for worship and for relationship with Him. In  Him we find we are precious  and we are blessed with grace and mercy. We are not intended to identify ourselves as only destroyed by pain and sorrow.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:3 KJV

and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].
Ephesians 4:24 AMP

We are made new in Him. We are not to continue in our old identity. We have a new identity through salvation when we go through those hard struggles, we cannot be consumed by it and allow it to change who we are in Christ. We still have hope. We still have the joy He gives. We can find comfort and peace in His arms.

God sees and knows who we are. He did not allow Naomi to rename herself. We should also realize that God calls us by name. He listed her story for a reason. He demonstrated how much he wants to take care of our sorrows and hurts. He wants to turn it around for our good. It doesn't change the fact we experienced it, but it will be turned to good and should not determine our identity. We will be able to say: You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,  Psalms 30:11 NKJV

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:26‭-‬27 NKJV

God created us. He can change us. He can bless us. He can bring us through the fire and the storm. We are not defined by circumstances. We are defined by our faith in our Creator and Savior. Just as God saw Naomi and reminded her that she was blessed and pleasant, not bitter.  We are to be identified by Him and His Spirit operating in us. Let us take on the identity that Christ gives us. We need to say I am a child of God and nothing will ever change that.