Identity Theft

Today, I’m writing about my most recent traumatic experience, identity theft. This has nothing to do with stolen credit cards or someone hijacking my personal information. Praise God for that! Identity may possibly be the word of the decade, with all it encompasses that is affecting society as a whole. According to Psychology Today, the big eight social identities are age, race, gender, ability, religion, class, immigration status and sexual orientation. I would add education, career, personality, friends, food choices, hobbies, personal style, including fashion and hair, and more. And let’s not forget personal data, as identity theft in that sense is a huge problem today. However, when one trusts in these things and finds their identity there, it has the  potential to direct or mis-direct their life (if they allow it). God’s Word tells us to…

Trust (only) in the Lord with all of our heart; lean not on our own understanding. In all of our ways acknowledge him, and He will direct our path. (Proverbs 3:4-5)

At one point in my early twenties, I went to a therapist to help me overcome some personal issues. He kept asking me who I was, and I would reply, stating my physical description, marital status and career. Every week he’d ask the same thing, and every week I gave the same answer. Eventually, I quit going, as I thought it was going nowhere. Today, I look back on that experience, and wonder what was it that I didn’t get.

Now, you’re probably wondering what was my latest trauma that I’m calling identity theft. The answer is my “new haircut that I do not like”. After a week of fussing and sulking about why I had my beautiful long locks cut off, I had to come to terms with that question from my twenties. Who am I? I thought to myself, it’s bad enough when a client is unhappy with his or her hair, but for me, the hairdresser with the so called “perfect hair” to be unhappy…what does that say about me? It says I am still vain, even though I thought I was over it. Well, that ruffled my feathers and shook my identity. Apparently, who I am is still tied to my appearance. Even after writing a devotion about vanity, I realized there were some things that got in the way of practicing what I preach.

One morning in my devotion time that week, I found myself crying to God over my hair. Don’t judge, I talk to God about everything, even what I should wear each day. He brought to mind what I wrote in a former blog “A Beauty Regimen for the Heart”, and I heard the Lord ask me who I was. His tone was not harsh, or accusatory. It was loving and kind. Then He reminded me that I am His, a daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. ( I am a princess… with a not-so-fabulous haircut who is a bit more humbled now. – haha) But seriously, my identity should be found in Christ alone! Anything else is idolatrous. An idol is anything you put before God. Check out the first commandment. “You shall not make for yourself an image…  Notice the word “image” in the NIV translation. This also refers to “self image”. You can easily make yourself into the most important thing in your life, usurping God’s rightful place.

The Thief

That is when the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10) Yes, Satan, the accuser, showed up again, first telling me how my identity was shattered with this hideous hair and how unhappy I would be for a long time. After I professed my identity in the Lord alone, he then told me that I was a hypocrite and guilty of the sin of idolatry. That darn devil tried to steal not only my identity, but my faith in everything Jesus did for me at the cross as well. But thanks be to God, I was ready to tell him off. For he has no authority in my life, only Jesus has that! And He has given me (and you, if you are a believer) all authority to send the enemy away.

“Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you.” (Luke 10:19 CSB)

“Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 CSB)

So, that is what I did and he left me alone! As I repented of my sin in my prayer journal, I was thankful for the forgiveness Jesus offers, which puts me back in a right relationship with my heavenly Father. I also remembered that all things happen for a reason. God promises to work all things out for my good and His glory. (Romans 8:28) In case you’re wondering how he’s done that, I was reminded that hair grows. An unfortunate haircut is not the end of the world. One must realize that they are more than their sense of style and all of the things this world attributes to identity. The enemy, Satan is the god of this world until Jesus comes back. So, you must remember this promise that is written in His Word.

“Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].” (1 John 4:4 AMP)

My discontent over my haircut pointed to some Christian character flaws in me that needed to be overcome. This is the process of “sanctification” (which is how we are made holy to look more like Jesus). Little by little God is working in me, and that is for my good and for His glory. When we look like Him, He is glorified. So, as far as being content in all things, especially my hair, for the time being, I am content to keep telling myself that I like it, and maybe I eventually will! Read Philippians 4:11-13 NIV I reiterate: It’s only hair; it will grow. Now, having said all of that, I can say I have conquered another trauma, or maybe drama is a better word.

Thank you for taking time to read my blog, I hope it encouraged you. Please look for my next blog post that I am calling True Beauty, where I will share the devotion about vanity (mentioned above) that I wrote based on the former blog from 2020 with the same title, “A Beauty Regimen for the Heart.” Until then…

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17)

Get ready, Jesus is coming back soon!