Once again as I continue to share my pastoral communication, I want to gently remind you of an eternal truth that must never be eclipsed by circumstances or personal history. Your identity is not defined by where you have been, what you have gone through, or what you are presently facing. Your true identity is anchored in Christ.
Never forget who you are in Christ, regardless of where you have come from or what your life has looked like. Your past does not define you. Your circumstances do not determine your identity. Christ does.
The Word of God says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17. This means your history has no power over your identity. What Christ has spoken over you is greater than what you have lived through.
No matter how unfavorable your current situation may be, do not allow it to make you feel low, forgotten, or inferior. Scripture reminds us, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:26. Sons and daughters of God do not derive their worth from seasons, struggles, or delays, but from their relationship with God the Father.
I also encourage you to guard your heart against admiring or envying the apparent success of those who live without God. The world often celebrates what looks impressive on the surface, but the Word warns us to be discerning. “Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways” Proverbs 3:31. Not all that glitters is gold.
The psalmist speaks honestly when he says, “I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” Psalm 73:3, yet later he understands that such prosperity without God is unstable. What appears strong without Christ is often standing on fragile ground.
Beloved, keep your eyes on Christ and on the purpose He has for your life. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” Ephesians 2:10. Your life carries divine value, divine purpose, and divine direction.
Stand firm in your identity. Walk confidently in Christ. Let no circumstance, no past experience, and no comparison steal your assurance.
I want to further exhort and gently admonish us in love. Do not allow discouragement to settle in your heart or weariness to weaken your faith. The enemy often attacks identity before he attacks destiny, because when a believer forgets who they are, they begin to live beneath what God has ordained.
Remember the Word of the Lord, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. When we forget who we are in Christ, we become vulnerable to fear, compromise, and silent retreat. Do not allow confusion or disappointment to make you spiritually passive.
You are called to stand, not to shrink back. Scripture says, “The righteous are bold as a lion” Proverbs 28:1. Boldness is not arrogance. It is confidence rooted in truth. Even when your emotions are weak, your position in Christ remains strong.
Guard your heart diligently. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” Proverbs 4:23. Be careful of what you entertain, what voices you listen to, and what narratives you rehearse within yourself. Faith is sustained by truth, not by appearances.
I admonish you not to measure your life by timelines that God did not author. Delay is not denial. Hidden seasons are not wasted seasons. “Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” Habakkuk 2:3. God is precise. He is never late.
Do not compromise your values to imitate what seems to work in the world. Scripture warns us clearly, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” 1 John 2:15. Many things that appear successful are hollow, temporary, and costly in the long run. Choose eternal fruit over temporary applause.
Let us also be sober and disciplined in our walk. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13. Spiritual maturity requires consistency, obedience, and endurance, even when no one is watching and no immediate reward is visible.
Beloved, rise in faith. Strengthen your prayer life. Stay rooted in the Word. Walk in humility and obedience. “Those who trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever” Psalm 125:1.
God has not abandoned you. He is shaping you. He is preparing you. Remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
With love and prayers.
BSP Gobanga J.O.
Presiding Clergy, Infemi