Sometimes I Forget

by Tama Fortner

“…Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1 NASB

Sometimes I forget who I am. Does that ever happen to you? Oh, I don’t mean I forget my name or where I live. (Though what I had for breakfast or why on earth I went into the kitchen can be a total mystery.) No, what I mean is that I sometimes forget who I am as a child of God.

I venture out into the world, or at least my little corner of it, and I’m instantly bombarded by all these images and messages of who the world says I should be, could be, or most definitely am not. (That’s the one that really gets me.) Not important enough, not experienced enough, not skilled enough. Simply not enough to do whatever it is the Lord is calling me to do that day. And it’s so tempting—it would be so easy—just to creep back inside, thinking to myself, You’re right, world. God must have gotten His wires crossed when He sent that message to me. I’m sure He meant for someone else to tackle that project, teach that class, write that book, speak to that neighbor down the street. There’s no way He meant me.

Right? Wrong!

Liar is not a word I use lightly. It’s a terrible thing to be called. But that’s exactly what the devil is. A great, big, pants-on-fire liar. Jesus called him the “father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV) because he has been murdering truth from the beginning, since that very first time he slithered into the garden and whispered to Adam and Eve. That serpent hasn’t stopped whispering yet.

Are you like me? Do you hear him sometimes too? His lies are enough to make us forget the truth of who we really are.

God doesn’t leave us defenseless against this enemy, though. He’s given us a whole Book filled with the truth of who we really are and who really wins this battle we fight each day. And while it may not matter that we’ve forgotten what yesterday’s breakfast was or exactly why we stepped into the kitchen, it is essential that we remember who the Lord says we are.

We are children of God (John 1:12), healed by our faith in His Son (Mark 5:34), and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit of God Himself (Acts 1:8). That power is not given to us so that we can shrink back in fear every time the devil comes slithering around, whispering his lies (2 Timothy 1:7). No! The Spirit empowers us to live out the plans—the good and perfect plans—God has for each and every one of us (Jeremiah 29:11; Hebrews 13:21). And, yes, that includes you and me.

So let’s step back out into the world, into the mission God has given us. And let’s shine the light of His life-giving truth into a world desperate to escape the darkness of the evil one’s lies. Because when we belong to Him, that’s exactly what He enables us to do.

We just need to remember who we are.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Tama Fortner is an ECPA award-winning and bestselling writer with more than forty titles to her credit. As a ghostwriter, she has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Christian publishing to create inspirational books for children, teens, and adults. But her greatest accomplishments happen in a happy little home on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her family and an incredibly lazy dog who doubles as a footwarmer.

Tama’s newest title, Simply Christmas, releases September 28th from Ink & Willow and is available for pre-order now. Catch up with Tama and all her latest book news at www.TamaFortner.com.

Join the conversation: What lies do you hear whispered to you?

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