His Masterpiece
Some of the greatest tests to a person’s identity are times of transition or unwanted change. That’s because how they’ve previously seen themselves no longer fits; and, letting go of who we think we are can be very hard. It can even be painful.
For me, the greatest challenge to my sense of identity happened when I became a special needs mom. All my life, as far back as I can remember, my identity was based on my performance and my accomplishments. Who I was was defined by what I was doing (and how well I thought I was doing it).
Then my son got sick. Despite my having DONE all the right things, my son still contracted meningitis - an illness that precipitated kidney failure, hydrocephalus, right side cerebral palsy, and developmental/cognitive disabilities. And, due to the severity of his diagnosis, the Lord instructed me to quit my job to become my son’s full-time caregiver. So began my life as a special needs mom.
At first there was so much to learn and do that I didn’t have a minute to think about anything else. But when I finally did look up to survey my life, I wasn’t sure who I was anymore. Nobody I knew was doing what I was doing; nor did anyone understand it. I felt alone, confused, overwhelmed and even angry as I watched others living the life I’d always assumed would be mine.
Thankfully, at some point, God began to redefine how I saw myself by teaching me that my true identity was in Him.
Who God Says We Are
On my journey of discovering my new identity, the Lord led me to the book of Ephesians - a letter that the apostle Paul had written to young converts at the church of Ephesus to help them refocus on their identity and inheritance in Christ.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT - “… we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”
His masterpiece. I don’t know about you, but I’d never thought of myself that way. Yet that’s who God says we are. So what does that even mean?
The definition for masterpiece is:
One of a kind. (So we can stop comparing ourselves to others because we’re beyond comparison.)
A creation for which the Creator receives greatest renown. (That means that how God created us brings Him glory.)
We’re His workmanship. His handiwork. Each of us (and our children, by the way) has been personally and intimately crafted by Him.
What makes this masterpiece possible is that we’ve been created anew in Christ. The Greek word translated “created” means that each of us:
Has been intentionally and specifically designed. (God has a plan for our lives and that plan is reflected in how He designed us.)
Has certain abilities. (He has given us specific skills and gifts.)
Has specific capability. (This is our hidden capacity - it’s all we could be but haven’t yet become. It’s who we really are, even if we don’t know it yet. It’s who God sees when He looks at us.) There is more in us than we know - things we won’t know till the situation demands it.
And what “activates” the masterpiece in each of us is our union with Christ.
Importantly, the mastery with which God has created and designed us is so that we CAN do the good works God planned for us long ago. That includes the good work of raising and caring for our children with special needs. God designed us for this.
How We Become Who God Says We Are
So how do we become more like the women God says that we are? Well, it’s a process. Before we can expect to behave differently, we have to change the way we think. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV) Our lives follow the direction of our thoughts.
One primary way that we can begin to change the way we think is by rehearsing the things that God says are true of us. The consistent rehearsing of Truth can help to renew our minds. We can think of rehearsing as a way of advocating for the person God has created us to be.
Neuroscience confirms this. God has designed our brains so that, when we say things over and over (whether good or bad), new neural pathways are created in our brains to support that train of thought. The more we rehearse something, the easier it is to remember it and believe it because our brains have been physically changed to facilitate it.
Christian psychologist, Dr. Neil T. Anderson recognizes this truth and writes, “The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity.”
As simple as this may be, it’s something we’ll have to CHOOSE everyday because we will be met with resistance. The enemy knows that we will never rise above our perception of ourselves. The more he can move us away from our identity in Christ - by convincing us to believe his lies - the more weakened we become. We’ll live our lives as though we’re not who God says we are.
It takes time, but we’re not in this process alone. This is God’s plan for us, HIS will. He wants more than we do for us to become the people He has created us to be, the special needs parents he has designed and equipped us to be.
So start saying to yourself what God is already saying about you. Take Him at His word and start advocating for yourself to become the person He sees when He looks at you.