We are not named by our circumstances, we are named by our good God.

Overwhelmed. 
Tired.
Defeated.
Failure. 
Bad mother, wife, friend, daughter etc.

I knew almost a year ago I was stepping into a tough season. I knew the next several months to a year or longer were going to be difficult, trying, tiring; yet I believed the Lord had prepared me and steadied my feet for the task ahead. He had given me vision, dreams, words and people who spoke into what was ahead and gave me clarity. I was confident, equipped and clearly called as I walked forward into this difficult season, because although everything around me was grey and clouded and unclear, my God had set a light before me to guide me along the way. A friend shared this with me last evening, and it's perfect for the season I've been struggling in: it's the imagery of a long, dark tunnel. It's cold, dreary, dark and a little scary. Yet, at the end of the tunnel, there is a light beckoning you to put one foot in front of the other in faith that once again the warmth and comfort of the light will greet you. I have been in that tunnel. I have been cold. I have felt alone. I have been frightened. Yet, I have seen glimpses of light and the Lord has equipped me to continue along the journey, having faith that what is ahead is His will and that makes the tunnel bearable.

That was, until about two weeks ago. I put my head down and began to believe lies - lies that I could not walk forward because I had a new name; overwhelmed, tired, defeated, failure, bad mother. Yet, my God is good and gracious and He in His sovereign provision called out these lies, one after another and redirected my eyes toward the names He has ordained for me; more than able, daughter of the King, equipped, Loved, called, perfect (in Him and Him alone). 

We must not forget friends that we have an enemy who longs to destroy us when our circumstances are burdensome and heavy. He tempts us to carry the weight on our own, stare at the circumstances and claim them as our identity. When our circumstances become our identity we are defeated. We claim our good God with our head, but we lose sight of him in our hearts and we are overcome. We become like Naomi in Ruth 1; we change our names to bitterness as she did in the wake of great loss; or for me, to overwhelmed, tired, defeated, failure, bad mother, wife friend, daughter, etc. When our identities are compromised and not set firm in whom our good God claims us to be -- perfect, holy, without blemish, beautiful, His children, all in light of the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ -- we become weary. We search for meaning and we search for the light (retail therapy, anyone...or is that just me?) and we have forgotten that it's simply in trust of who our God claims us to be. In His Love. In trusting His plan, even when circumstances are hard. And when we trust; when we realign our sights with His, the light reappears. It again beckons us to put one foot in front of the other as we obediently pursue our good God. And we trust what He tells us in Romans 8:28, that: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

We trust that He is working for our good even when our circumstances threaten to bury, overwhelm and defeat us. We must remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has defeated the grave; he could not be buried, overwhelmed or defeated and as we identify as His, He promises the same for us.

Look forward friends and claim the Light. It beckons you forward.

If you're intrigued by what inspired this post, please visit She Reads Truth.