Acts 27:21-25 NKJV
[21] But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. [22] And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. [23] For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, [24] saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ [25] Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.
Beloved,
Paul declared all these in the midst of a crisis and it was a prime indicator of his identity. Your daily habits matter. When we develop habits that help us to sustain right character, our identity is established accordingly and evident to all. When we develop negative habits, decision by decision, we begin to loose who we are. It is a matter of time before we lose our identity, or have it stolen from us. This is how we find ourselves in crisis. Failure to adjust your everyday habits to accommodate who you are meant to be limits you in life; you will not be able to become who you are meant to be.
You can never be bigger than your identity. When you try to, you invariably find yourself in crisis. Your identity summarizes who you are and who you will remain or relegate yourself to if there is no positive change. Your identity determines your destination in life. If you will go far, you must develop both a revelation of who you are, and the habits to sustain this revelation. If you have given your life to Christ, then your identity is in Him. You must govern yourself, especially the way you think, speak and your daily habits to reflect who you know you are in Christ. It is your habits that determine how you will likely respond in a crisis.
Paul, after he identified who he was in Christ, developed habits that prepared him for times of crises. When he finally found himself in a shipwreck and others were panicking, His identity as a believer in Christ Jesus was so apparent as he boldly declared “…God, whose I am, and whom I serve…” (Acts 27:23, KJV). Dear Christian, who are you? Times of adversity will tell if truly your identity is in Christ.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
Jesus Feet 2024
