Even after years of being saved, many are still struggling with old mindsets, and are having a hard time separating from their old identities. We keep dwelling on our past lives and mistakes, we keep wearing the old identity, and that old, tattered garment keeps getting heavier and heavier.
The feelings of shame and guilt of the past, keep us bound, until we feel completely paralyzed and unable to move forward in God’s plans. We become blinded by fear and anxiety, overwhelmed by a feeling of impending calamity, expecting the consequences of our past mistakes to suddenly show up.
I have news for you: No matter what we have done in the past, if we have repented and are followers of Christ, we are a new creation.
We have been stripped of our old name, our old identity, the one we were born with, and have been reborn in Christ!
We have a new identity in Him.
He Has changed our name, but until we accept it, we will keep struggling with the same issues.
We insist on revisiting the past and that’s because we feel unworthy of His love. We have not let The Word of God renew our minds.
If we don’t let go, we will eventually be faced with an experience that will wrestle that old identity out of us until it leaves us limping!
Jacob struggled with the guilt and shame of what he had done to his brother Esau. He was filled with anxiety and fear at the thought of having to face him. He lived up to his name since he was in his mother’s womb! He was a supplanter, and a deceiver, who lived in fear of reaping what he sowed. Even after encountering God at Bethel, he said:
“Then Jacob made a vow (promise), saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if [He grants that] I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument, memorial) will be God’s house [a sacred place to me], and of everything that You give me I will give the tenth to You [as an offering to signify my gratitude and dependence on You].”
Did you notice he said “IF” God does this for me, then He will be my God?
He remained earthly-minded, even after the Lord showed Himself to him and promised to bless him.
I believe Jacob was afflicted by the orphan spirit, even though God loved, and favored him over his brother Esau. Growing up with an earthly father who favored his brother over him, must have caused deep insecurities and low self-esteem in Jacob. Although he was a mama’s boy, he lacked his father’s approval, which is something so pivotal in a child’s life, especially a boy’s.
The lack of paternal affirmation was the reason why he agreed to his mother’s deceitful plan because he knew that that was the only way he was going to receive his father’s blessing. He wasn’t concerned about the morality of what he was doing, his concern was that his deceit might be discovered and he might be cursed by his father.
When he was told that his brother Esau was coming to meet him, he immediately feared the worst. He sent his wives and children away and sent his servants with gifts to meet Esau, hoping to appease his anger and hatred.
Left alone with his fears and remorse, God wrestled with him. Jacob could not let go of his old identity that was so deeply rooted in him. Everything from his name to his birth, to the way he took his brother’s birth right and blessing, affirmed Jacob’s deceitful personality. He truely believed that his life was meant to be a reflection of his name and identity, but he was wrong!
Hosea 12:3-4 NLT
Even in the womb,
Jacob struggled with his brother;
when he became a man,
he even fought with God.
4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won.
He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him.
There at Bethel he met God face to face,
and God spoke to him
God had chosen him and He was about to change his name and identity in a very drastic way!
Genesis 32:24-28 AMP
So Jacob was left alone, and a [b]Man [came and] wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the Man saw that He had not prevailed against Jacob, He touched his hip joint; and Jacob’s hip was dislocated as he wrestled with Him. 26 Then He said, “Let Me go, for day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You declare a blessing on me.” 27 So He asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but [c]Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
Jacob had the same attitude toward God as He did toward his earthly father Isaac. He wept and pleaded for God to bless him, he took that blessing by force because he didn’t believe that he was loved, Even though God Had already told him He would bless him at Bethel.
God had to strip that false identity out of Jacob! Jacob needed a supernatural experience, he needed to meet God face to face so that his twisted personality could be straightened out so that he could become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel!
Becoming who we’re meant to be in Christ is hard work! It is emotionally and spiritually exhausting!
It requires the stripping away of many beliefs, habits, self-perceptions, and everything that is part of our flesh.
The way we view ourselves as people is completely skewed, due to the way we were raised and the experiences we’ve had.
We need to tune in to what God has to say about our identity and who we were created to be in Him. Failing to do so, will only delay and hinder our destiny.
Who we need to wrestle with is not God, but our flesh!
God Is patient with us, just as He was with Jacob, but if we resist Him, the process will be much more painful than it needs to be.
God Has chosen you let Him use you to the fullest! Let go and let God!
Do not resist your name change, let go of the old you and embrace the new!
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on The Rising of the Esthers
Featured Image by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
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