REAL ID

I woke up in a horrible mood. Like, the worst. Ready to scream or cry, wasn't sure which one would release the tension I was feeling.

So I went to the DMV...

Not where you would go? Yeah, not sure I recommend it either :)

But I was walking in the door, prepared with what I thought were all the papers needed to get my new license. Well, I was wrong.

So, after waiting in line for awhile, I was sent back out the door with nothing to show for the time. Frustrated and just about ready to boil over.

Collecting what I was told they still needed and heading back to wait in line again, I made it step by step through all the checkpoints and finally made it to the point where I was handed the little piece of plastic that is meant to be my new identification. Relief replacing most of the frustration from the morning.

But I still had the mood lingering under the surface that had been there when I woke up this morning. I was better, but somehow still the same.

Sometimes a new identity doesn't always fix everything beneath the surface like a magic potion. Sometimes it's just a new picture with the same 'ol problems.

But we are promised to have a new identity in Christ. This process of incredible transformation and unbelievable renewal. It's truly a miracle that He loves us enough to create us in His image and then stick around to raise us as His children, identifying us as His own.

We don't have to wait in line after gathering up a bunch of paperwork with proof of identity, location, or good deeds. We really just need to show up in His presence, ready for renewal.

But the truth is, even though I have been renewed in Christ, sometimes I still have my own work to do when I walk out the door and in to the real world. My new identity gives me freedom to be who I was created and confirmed to be, but my old self still steps out of line to get moody and make mistakes.

So what do we do?

Get the new identity, but don't stop there. Step outside and give yourself a little grace as you figure out how to live with His identity in the real world. Say a prayer, take a breath, maybe even enjoy a treat, and find full renewal with Him.