Dear Christian Mentor, Can you walk with me through Lent?(Day12)
Identity
"See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” ~ 1 John 3:1
Dear Christian Mentor,
I have participated in Lent many times, but it often feels like something I should do rather than an experience that draws me closer to the Lord. Can you walk with me through the season of Lent?
Dear Mentee,
Lent is a season of returning—returning to who God says you are. 1 John 3:1 does NOT say we will be called children of God if we strive hard enough -it says we are. That is a declarative identity statement rooted in divine adoption, not human effort.
Identity theft is one of the enemy’s most strategic tactics. If he can distort who you believe you are, he can destabilize how you live. You may define yourself by your productivity, your failures, your relationships, your past wounds, or your current emotional state. These are ways the enemy tries to deceive you. They are not identity.
According to Scripture, your identity is anchored in Christ:
Created intentionally (Psalm 139:13–14)
Redeemed intentionally (Ephesians 1:7)
Adopted intentionally (Romans 8:15)
When you accept Christ in your life, you become a child of God. Identity theft occurs when we allow shame, comparison, performance, or accusation to overwrite that truth.
During Lent, we strip away false labels so we can stand in what is eternally true.
Application
Where can you see satan trying to steal your true identity in Christ?
Whose voice most influences how you see yourself?
Do you truly believe you are a child of God—or are you still trying to earn that title?
Today’s Promise
Your Heavenly Father has chosen you. You are His child, fully loved and fully known.
Today’s Fast
Fast from false labels.
When a negative identity statement surfaces (“I’m not enough,” “I always fail,” “I’m defined by my past”), pause and replace it with truth: I am a child of God. Not because of performance. Not because of perfection. Because of His love.
~ Christian Mentor
