How I Changed My Self Identity

I have known for some time that I was a son of God. However, I did not know how to change my concept of being a sinner saved by grace to God’s destiny as His son and heir. Knowing what God wants from us and getting to where He wants us to be is very difficult sometimes.

Somewhere around the year 2008, I pulled my keyboard from storage. I had made up my mind that I was going to learn to play it. I love to sing and needed something to keep me in tune. So I bought lessons, practiced, then bought more lessons and practiced even more. Everything brought frustration and failure.

I already knew every key on the keyboard. The piano only has twelve keys, so that wasn’t difficult. I knew from my years of playing chords on a guitar that I would only need a few chords to play almost any song, and I quickly learned them. I only lacked the speed and dexterity to play fast enough to sing. I also promptly solved that problem. I began by singing very slowly.

Fast forward about ten years, and I had come to church early to practice on a real piano. I loved the sound and the music I created. As I walked back to my seat, a few people in the church complimented me on my playing. I was pretty flattered. I had just been having fun practicing. Then, just as I sat down, the thought came to me. You’ve made it. You know how to play the piano.

That was several years ago, and I am still not a great player, but my self-identity as a player of pianos remains to this day. However, I learned a crucial mental concept that day. The Lord had taught me how to change my identity.

A common misconception of learning is that we must work on placing something into our memory. But that is incorrect. Our mind places every experience into our subconscious memory automatically. Remembering is the process of reforming an idea into a visible thought in our conscious brains. It is a skill set that we improve with practice.

For example, it automatically went into my permanent long-term memory when I learned I was a son of God. As I reviewed that concept, it became easier to recall. Eventually, it was the first thought to come to my mind. One day I realized I no longer thought of myself as a sinner saved by grace. I had evolved into the identity that I was a child of the living God, led by His spirit. I changed my self-identity by encouraging myself and partnering with the Holy Spirit.

This concept is very effective but takes patience and perseverance, and it will work in establishing or reversing, negative or positive ideas or identities.