There’s something about digging deep into your identity and who you really are. When you observe people in the world around you, you only see the outer layer. Usually, you don’t see the inner layer unless you are in a relationship of intimacy, such as a marriage. Similar to onions, people have many layers. So what you see from the outside may not reflect what is on the inside. 

In light of uncovering who you really are, I coined a term called “The Identity Placebo.” When studying the effectiveness of new medications, a control group takes a sugar pill, or “placebo” instead of the medication. Participants who take the placebo can actually feel better because of the anticipation that the medication will help. Suppose you have a colleague named John who is not very considerate. Over time, John takes on this identity of how others view him. The office views him as rude, whether he knows it or not. One day John is very polite, and you say to him, “Hey John, you’re such a polite person.” Now, he believes that he is polite when he hears those words. Soon, he’ll start opening doors for people. Your whole life can change when a word is pressed on you from the outside or from within. 

Friend, you will live up to what you call yourself. As Christians, we spend a great deal of time talking about what we call ourselves and even more importantly, what God calls us. You are His beloved, and He calls you that. He views you as a treasure, a pearl of great value, and the apple of His eye. This is our true identity from the Father!