Jordan Prance

Some people may recognise me for my rosy red cheeks, (completely masculine of course!) and it is something that i have come to associate with myself... therefore you can understand the confusion it put me through, at the sudden thought that they are possibly so rosy red due to lack of oxygen to my brain, as i stumble breathlessly about my day, holding my breath, puffing out my chest, in an aim to look "bigger", simply because i wasn't comfortable with the way i saw my body, or perhaps the way the world had me convinced my body appeared.

How often do we conform to what the world will have us believe about ourselves?
How often as men, do we try and puff out our chests, put on a slightly deeper voice, sleep with as many girls as possible, in the aim of looking "more masculine"? or perhaps "stronger"?
What difference would it make if only we could come to the realization that we already are blessed with the ever-enduring strength of God? (Should we choose to call on him).

As women, how often do we seek validation from the world, perhaps from a boyfriend, maybe about our bodies, the way we look.
What difference would it make if every woman suddenly realised that God's creation of the world and everything in it, was incomplete without her very being, that women are true beauty in it's rawest essence.

As Christians or not, we all have an identity, we all conform to someone's views or opinions of us, it affects the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we act in a crowd, the way we act when we're alone... it affects the way we live. Do we justify our actions with Gods view of us, or indeed the way the world views us?
And it's this that gets me thinking, just how different could it be?

As Christians we are taught repeatedly our identity in Christ. That our God has our identities planned for us before we were even born. We have the knowledge that God made us in his image, and that he loves us with all his very being, that he gave his only son, to not only die, but to be crucified on a cross so that we may have eternal life with him.

Yet lately something within me has stirred, as i myself have realised that although i live in the knowledge of the identity God has already bestowed within me, that i question whether i truly live in the embodiment of that.
Do I go about every insignificant action of my day, knowing that i am loved beyond anything my mind can yet comprehend, that I live for a God, who is in constant adoration of my very soul.

How different would my life be if everything within me embraced the true identity i was created to have, how much more will i have stepped out for Jesus? How much easier would i find it to live a life of Love? If the image of God, in which he created me, shone out through every word, every look, every action that i ever rendered.

As these thoughts swim through my mind, i will make a decision, to live day by day, moment by moment, thought by thought, in not only the knowledge, but the empowerment that the identity Christ has blessed me with brings.

And i write this with nothing but a simple question.... do you live without any knowledge whatsoever of the true you, the person you were initially created to be?
Or perhaps you do live in the knowledge of the oneness you were made to share with Jesus Christ, but maybe it's time to question whether you've openly embraced it?

I think it's worth a thought.

Finally, i'm thankful and relieved to say that my rosy red cheeks are not due to lack of oxygen; i've grown ever so slightly fond of them. (Completely Godly of course!)

Jordan
xx