IDENTITY FRAUD

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Too many aren’t involved in the making of themselves because they’re distracted by the making of others…

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You are a recipe—the ingredients needed to provide sustenance and healing in at least one area while on the planet. Everything about you is an ingredient and the perfect mix of things that make up who and what is perfectly you: the way you look, talk, walk, how and where you grew up, who your parents were or weren’t, your education or non-education—your combined experiences—every part is a recipe-base, a foundation, a catalyst to becoming the full you that you need, and others need from you. The gifts of God towards you, for you, to you—those gifts, abilities, and personality traits are amazing and unique to you and yes, for you to enjoy but more importantly, for the benefit of others (Romans 12:10). Never truly coming to appreciate how wonderfully made you are (Psalms 139:14 AMP), prevents you from the discovery of who and what more you can be, destroying the possibility of positively and genuinely influencing others.

FORGERY

FORGERY:
the crime of falsely making or copying in order to deceive people

Despite knowing this, many of us put time, money, and effort into being like others—acting like carbon copies of who we (or the world) admire at the moment—missing out on our original greatness while denying others the benefit of meeting the real us. Consciously or not, many of us seem to live in a constant state of dissatisfaction with our own lives and selves, so we adopt parts of others’.

So many, too many, are not involved in the making of themselves because they’re too distracted by the making of others.

When we compare ourselves to others (or even compare others to others), jealousy, offense, hatred, and bitterness aren’t far behind (James 3:16). Unhealthy comparisons and competition can distract us from our rich inheritance of distinctiveness. As we fall in increasing lust with others’ looks, money, position, relationships…stealthy self-hatred also increases.

Identity fraud is a reflection of how little we know God as Father—as masterful and purposeful Creator.

Who we’re created to be is directly attached to who we’re supposed to be helping and influencing. We are here for people. We were made for intimate relationship with God and all that that encompasses, and for demonstrating His love toward and for others. How do we fully do that while drawing from a fraudulent source?

FRAUD

FRAUD:
a person who pretends to be what he or she is not in order to trick people;
a copy of something that is meant to look like the real thing in order to trick people;
the crime of using dishonest methods to take something valuable from another person

Many of us aren’t fulfilling our highest calling; we’re out of place, out of step, out of pace, out of joint, out of our minds, because we’re outside of ourselves. While being someone else—taking up their space—we leave a gaping hole that we should be filling (1 Cor 12:14-18). That hole needs our righteous personality, appearance, way of talking, of doing, of being. There are people lined up at the base of that hole unwittingly waiting for you to show up. But you don’t show up because you’re somewhere else, doing something else, anything else than being yourself. Many of you have displaced the one whose shoes you’re filling, displaced yourselves, and displaced those waiting for the expression of Christ through you.

PERSONA

PERSONA:
an individual’s social facade or front that especially reflects the role in life the individual is playing; the image or personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public

There is a Myles Munroe statement I heard years ago, “…The wealthiest place is the cemetery…there is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential…Don’t go to the grave with your treasure still within you.” That statement is also applicable to identity. The fact is, we can still produce a type of treasure or fruit, even when we misrepresent ourselves, but the amount, reach, and quality of that fruit will be compromised.

COMPROMISE

COMPROMISE:
to accept a standard lower than desirable (i.e., to lower value)

When you’re off living a life not meant for you, when you don’t show up, part of what others need that could only come from you may be lost forever. That is hard to hear but we’re accountable for that. Our true identity and accepted calling can provide someone’s hope, opportunity, encouragement, answer, example, salvation... You not being there, not being ideally you, is thievery: you steal from yourself and you steal from the world. You end up not getting what you need, others end up not getting what they need—it is an all-around rob-fest. Both you and those you’re assigned to walk around with a deep and mysterious hunger; you both know something’s missing but you can’t quite put your finger on the root of it. Again, it stems from not intimately knowing your Creator and why He created you (Ephesians 2:10). When you do know Him, you will be you.

POSTURING

POSTURING:
assuming an artificial or pretended attitude
behaving in a way that is intended to impress or mislead

Seems like posturing is at an all-time high. It’s so common it has become the norm. Some of you may have been posturing for so long you’ve become blind to the fact that you’re no longer an original. You may justify your mask, costume, and role because you’ve had some degree of success performing on your assumed stage. However and for whatever reason your measure of pretense was seeded and watered, you’ve neglected your divine assignment and replaced it with a life that wouldn’t pass inspection (2 Corinthians 8:21). For everyone’s sake, it’s important that you stop posturing, then ask God for help. Better said, ask God for help in order to stop posturing.

Part of true success is knowing Christ, and knowing ourselves in and through Him—our identities unfold from and are rooted in Him. Not our own imaginations.

Whenever I learn (or admit) I need maturity in an area, I celebrate because I deeply long to grow and transform (Romans 12:2), and am hoping you’re the same (Philippians 1:6). If you believe you’ve lost all or even a little of yourself, don’t beat yourself up; it’s not too late for an identity tune-up. Hey, between the loud and controlling voices from your peers, the world, your enemy, and your own mind, you may not have had time to stop and quiet yourself long enough to hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance. So, let me encourage you and even beg a little:

Please don’t undermine your true God-designed-and-assigned identity and calling for fear of how others may react to the new you. Please don’t steal from your own future. Please don’t steal from others by not providing them with full-grade you. Please don’t be afraid of exposed flaws nor let time be an excuse, or education, or age, or unfamiliarity with the you, you haven’t yet met. It’s not too late for the renewal of mind, ideals, and attitude. It is not too late for you to be you and for others to discover their genuine selves because your example gave them a jumpstart out of fraudulent living.

Please don’t be a substitute—a doppelgänger; you are too valuable and complex of a creation to merely be a placeholder. You are too loved not to love yourself. I encourage you to unashamedly become the healthiest, fullest, most beneficial expression of you that you have time to discover. There are people waiting for you.
God is waiting for you (Isaiah 30:18 AMPC).

Where do you find your truest identity? How do you continue to transform? Who better to teach you about your purpose, your influence, and the overall you than The Maker of you?

Go to God for reshaping, for remaking, for revelation.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
(Psalms 139:14 NKJV)

Thanks for reading a HolySmorgasBlog (and for being YOU)!

Much love,
Kimberly Arland
Revised from 05/19/15 post

Applicable Scriptures & Encouragement

Note: please always study these topics and scriptures for yourself and in context.
I pray that you would be filled with wisdom and spiritual understanding (spiritual and mental intelligence combined) and increase in the correct knowledge of God. / Col 1:9-10

IMITATING OTHERS HINDERS YOU FROM DISCERNING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2 AMPC)

YOU ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD FROM A HOLY NATION WITH A HIGH CALLING

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NKJV)

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG)

PROGRESSIVELY ADOPTING GOD’S CHARACTER PROVES/REVEALS GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR YOU

And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]. (Romans 12:2 AMP)

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without realizing its affects. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:2 MSG)

AS LONG AS YOU’RE WILLING, GOD WILL NEVER STOP HELPING AND MATURING YOU

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]. (Philippians 1:6 AMP)

YOU’VE BEEN OFFERED ACCESS TO WISDOM ON HOW TO UTILIZE YOUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE

All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. (1 Corinthians 10:23 AMPC)

NOT ONLY ARE YOU A MASTER WORK OF ART, THERE IS A GOOD LIFE DESIGNED FOR YOU

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. (Ephesians 2:10 AMP)

In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will, So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory! (Ephesians 1:11-12 AMPC)

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG)

**GOD HAS OFFERED YOU ADOPTION (CHOSEN AND PREFERRED YOU) TO BE ENGRAFTED INTO HIS NATURE AND WAY OF LIVING**

God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…we’ve been predestined to adoption as children of God by Jesus Christ Himself… (Ephesians 1:4-6)

Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24 AMPC)

You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.
(1 Corinthians 6:20 AMP)