November is Men’s Month here at UN-ASSOCIATED and for the month of November, our weekly monthly devotionals will be authored by men in our community. The theme and prompt of each piece is community and discipleship. Today, we continue today with Kojo.
If you were asked “who are you” today, how would you answer this question? It would take sometime for me to answer because growing up, I based my identity on my output. I would say I was intelligent because my grades in school proved that or that I was approachable because many people knew me or i had a lot of friends. But what happens when all of that is stripped away? When it’s just you – how would you describe yourself?
The topic of identity is one that I’ve struggled with more recently, especially as I’ve gone through different seasons. The question then becomes: What makes up my foundation?
My identity in Christ hasn’t always been strong. It all started after series of events life threw at me, in particular bullying. Experiencing bullying at such a young age has a lasting effect on how a person views their self worth. I changed my personality because I was told it wasn’t “masculine” enough. I was silenced whenever I wanted to ask questions, which affected my inquisitive nature. I was told I wasn’t good at multitasking, so I learned to focus on only one thing at a time, limiting my mindset and my ability to pursue multiple things simultaneously. These became identities I grew up believing and shaping my life around.
As children of God, filled with so much greatness, the enemy tries to distort our perception of that greatness from an early age so that we lose sight of it. But little does he know that the words spoken by our Father do not return void; they accomplish the purpose for which they were sent (Isaiah 55:11).
This reminds me of the story of David—left to tend sheep while his brothers fought in the war for Israel, the last to be called when Samuel visited his home to anoint a new king, and even seen as insignificant by his own family. Yet it was in these “low” moments that God was weaving together a story for something far greater. When the greatest men in Israel trembled before Goliath, it was David who stepped forward. King Saul doubted him because of his age (1 Samuel 17:33), but David remembered the victories God had already given him—killing both a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:36–37). Is anything too hard for God? (Genesis 18:14). Possibly afraid, he still went ahead, ignored the voices around him, fixed his gaze on God, and defeated Goliath with nothing but a sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17:48–49). It was the hidden moments—tending sheep, practicing with slings, feeling overlooked—that prepared him for elevation. Do not let the titles or labels of this world prevent you from fulfilling your God-given purpose and assignment.
I’m encouraged, and I hope you are too, by David’s story. His life reminds me to always keep my gaze on God because in Him alone I find identity and purpose. Regardless of what the world may say, I can still move forward—even if I do it afraid. Above all else, there is liberty in Jesus Christ. In Him, I have released the titles the world tried to place on me. I am loved by God as His child—that is my identity.
We often magnify our fears until they cloud our identity in Christ. The fear of the unknown and the countless “what ifs” can be the very things holding you back from the place God is calling you to. But God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). From the beginning, God instructed us to take dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26), and you must press on. The best way to know your identity in Christ is through intimacy with God because His Word is life (John 14:6) and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).
Today, I simply want to encourage you to surrender every area you are still holding onto. God cares for you deeply. It is in surrender that breakthrough is birthed.
