I lost my ID once and I was so sad to have lost it. It meant so much to me because without it I would not be able to get some of the free stuff and discounts that come with the card and lots more. Later that week a friend called me and as we were talking I mentioned to him “…I am battling with Identity theft…” My friend sounded really worried and hoped I resolved the ‘issue’ as soon as possible. A few years later I realized that Identity theft is much more than what I had told my friend. I might have lost my ID, but indeed, that is not my identity. What I lost was an identification card. Identity theft is a whole different ball game from loss of identification card.
Identity theft is:
On a certain day, on His way from one of His crusades, Jesus met this guy who was infested with a demon, indeed, some demons. The devils had taken over his whole life and this man did not live with humans anymore; he made his abode in the mountains and tombs. If you think you could bind him with chains you are wrong, he tore chains in pieces with ease and taming him was an impossible thing (at least from a human perspective). In any case who will think of taming a man whose life had been hijacked by demons and who could shake off chains like a piece of cloth!?
Now this demon infested man sees Jesus as He alights from a ship and runs to worship and plead with the Lord not to torment him (isn’t it strange that a tormentor fears being tormented!?). When Jesus saw this man, he quickly recognized that the man was not himself. The master saw beyond the outward look and He discerned that the man who lived in the tomb and could not be tamed, was not in his right mind; there was something else inside that mass of clay. To prove His point Jesus asked his name and the demons spoke through this man and said “…my name is Legion, we are many”. That is it, some one else (indeed some other thing (s)) was living the life of this nameless man. His identity had been hijacked (cf. Mark 5:1-13).
There are several people walking on our streets who are in the same condition as this man; they may look like everyone else, they could even dress, talk and act like us, but their identity has been hijacked. There are some other people who we wonder why they are not living up to expectation and when we try to encourage them they flip out on us; it will not be wrong if we say such people’s identities have been hijacked. When a young man goes out to blow himself up and kill others, you know he has lost his real person. Do you know that when a young person is visionless, not motivated and is waiting for some sudden event to happen and change his life, he/she too has lost his/her identity?
You know your identity is stolen when:
There are forces against God and against you that battle to take possession of you and use you against your will and it is your responsibility to wage war and fight against these forces. If you find yourself experiencing any of the above it is an indication that your identity has been hijacked and you are not yourself. This is the right time to go to the master and cry for help and say “Lord I am not what I ought to be, something strange has got a hold on my mind and body and I need your help”. Jesus will not deny you, He will help you. He will deliver you. He will restore you to your right mind and lift you to where you belong. And you can be sure that when the master touches you, the real you will return. Your lost identity, your lost glory, indeed your lost life will be restored after the master has worked on you.
The enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy you, but guess what? Jesus came to save, deliver and restore you. Give Him a chance to do His work in your life and set you free from the shackles of the invaders. You will be free indeed, free to be whom you were born to be; free as a dove.
Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed!
Identity theft is:
- You living someone else's life
- Someone else living your life
On a certain day, on His way from one of His crusades, Jesus met this guy who was infested with a demon, indeed, some demons. The devils had taken over his whole life and this man did not live with humans anymore; he made his abode in the mountains and tombs. If you think you could bind him with chains you are wrong, he tore chains in pieces with ease and taming him was an impossible thing (at least from a human perspective). In any case who will think of taming a man whose life had been hijacked by demons and who could shake off chains like a piece of cloth!?
Now this demon infested man sees Jesus as He alights from a ship and runs to worship and plead with the Lord not to torment him (isn’t it strange that a tormentor fears being tormented!?). When Jesus saw this man, he quickly recognized that the man was not himself. The master saw beyond the outward look and He discerned that the man who lived in the tomb and could not be tamed, was not in his right mind; there was something else inside that mass of clay. To prove His point Jesus asked his name and the demons spoke through this man and said “…my name is Legion, we are many”. That is it, some one else (indeed some other thing (s)) was living the life of this nameless man. His identity had been hijacked (cf. Mark 5:1-13).
There are several people walking on our streets who are in the same condition as this man; they may look like everyone else, they could even dress, talk and act like us, but their identity has been hijacked. There are some other people who we wonder why they are not living up to expectation and when we try to encourage them they flip out on us; it will not be wrong if we say such people’s identities have been hijacked. When a young man goes out to blow himself up and kill others, you know he has lost his real person. Do you know that when a young person is visionless, not motivated and is waiting for some sudden event to happen and change his life, he/she too has lost his/her identity?
You know your identity is stolen when:
- You keep trying to be what you are not
- You find yourself doing what you do not want to do
- You cannot do what you want to do
- You find yourself chasing someone else’s vision and not yours
- You try to do the will of God but find yourself doing something else
- You live to please other people
- You give your body for money (prostitution of any kind)
- You do not have control over your appetites (food, sex, shopping etc)
- You do not know your purpose and you live without a vision
- You are confused about your sexuality
There are forces against God and against you that battle to take possession of you and use you against your will and it is your responsibility to wage war and fight against these forces. If you find yourself experiencing any of the above it is an indication that your identity has been hijacked and you are not yourself. This is the right time to go to the master and cry for help and say “Lord I am not what I ought to be, something strange has got a hold on my mind and body and I need your help”. Jesus will not deny you, He will help you. He will deliver you. He will restore you to your right mind and lift you to where you belong. And you can be sure that when the master touches you, the real you will return. Your lost identity, your lost glory, indeed your lost life will be restored after the master has worked on you.
The enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy you, but guess what? Jesus came to save, deliver and restore you. Give Him a chance to do His work in your life and set you free from the shackles of the invaders. You will be free indeed, free to be whom you were born to be; free as a dove.
Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed!
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