Issue 15: The Identity Issue

APRIL 2010

illumin8 - Edition 14 - February 2010 Cover designed by: Leanne Rhodes

The Editor’s Note 1

Communic8 2

What’s in a name? 3

Senzo’s Desk 6

8 Ways 11

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Double Take 9

Fascin8 8

People Lover/Pleaser 5

illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010 Cover designed by: Leanne Rhodes

The search for identity and the desire to know who we really are, probably influences more decisions than any other factor. In our generation this has primarily manifested itself in 'the gap year' where we set off to see a part of the world. The idea is that through experiencing things we will find ourselves. While there are many merits to broadening one’s horizons, I'm not sure how often they lead to enlightenment. In some cases perhaps people do come home centered and more knowledgeable. I just came home more lost!

The Bible tells us that when we become Christians we become new in Christ. But I have to wonder how many of us have truly taken hold of that knowledge? Are we really living as new people? Are our minds really focused on the unseen? Are the fruits of the Spirit growing in our lives for all to see? Is our relationship with Jesus more personal than any other in our lives?

Easter is a time when we remember Jesus' sacrifice for us but, more importantly, we celebrate His gift to us. Through our baptism we have experienced a spiritual death to the old life and rising of the new. Yes we all have scars to show where we've come from but, through Jesus, we are raised up into new creations, heirs to the throne and children of God!

The Identity issue is one of those that deals with a huge topic and so it is by far incomplete! We've merely touched the tip of the iceberg with what we've covered here! We hope that they will spur you on to finding out who you really are in Christ, or perhaps take you a little further down that road if you are already on it.

In Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Senzo transcribes a conversation we all need to have more often. Double Take ventures into the world of fashion and 8 Ways looks at faith in the workplace. Katy shares her thoughts on people pleasing, something we all do in an effort for acceptance. I have shared with you a journey I've been on recently in What's in a name? Finally we've got some lovely little submissions in Communic8 and some fun facts about the South African Identity Number in Fascin8 (apologies to the overseas readers for the bias)!

And with that I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, filled with God's love and grace. May April be awesome!

1illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010 Designed by: Leanne Rhodes

Email us at [email protected]. Use this address to send us feedback, submit testimonies & to ask us to add you to our mailing list.

The other day while praying, I realised (when I was honest with myself

and God) that praying for stuff like miracles and healing and the manifest

of God's promises, seems too good to be true. But then I realised I had it

backwards! If ANYTHING were to be too good to be true, it would be the

fact that Jesus died for ME on the cross to save ME from my sins, and to

give ME eternal life in Heaven with HIM. I can be in relationship with

Almighty God, the Maker of heaven and earth. It's salvation that sounds

too good to be true but it IS! And if that is how our relationship with Jesus

started, what can we expect for the rest of our lives?

Too good to be true? A comment from Jolene Snowball

The quote below from the article Resting in God by

Jolene Snowball (Flashlight 8, Feb 2010) has affirmed

one of the many reasons I am a Christian… The only

thing disappointment is, is when your flesh realises that

what you think you need, and what God knows you

need, are two different things. (Charles Stanley)

Keep the fire burning! An email from Kedibone Aphane

For more of Jolene's

thoughts, see Resting in

God, Flashlight 8, Feb 2010


A few weeks ago I was leading our cell group and I decided to do a session on identity. I started it off with an exercise in which I asked everyone in the group what their name meant. What was really surprising to me was the fact that most people's names suited them really well. For some reason I hadn't expected this. I knew that in ancient times (and still today in some cultures), people were given names that represented something about the situation into which they were born. Names had deep and important meanings. I thought that in Western culture, names had moved into a space largely dominated by popularity. While

this is probably true, that doesn't mean that the names chosen for us aren't representative of who we are.

Why this is, I don't know. I haven't gone through the process of naming a child but my Mom has told me that you just know the right name for someone when you find it. Do people in Western culture today still know the meanings of the names they choose? Or on some level, do we only chose names that have suitable meanings? Do our names predetermine what type of person we will be? What, really, is in a name?

Names identify us. I am Lucy. I might not know what that means, but I do know that that is who I am. Names are our representation to the world. 'Hello – this is me. Get to know me if you like, but know


first, that this is my name.' And during the course of our lives (however it happens) our names define who we are. People learn to know what to expect when they hear our names.

Our names then, are important. They are central to who we are and sometimes those names change. Take for example a woman who gets married: Taking her husband's surname is telling the world that she is no longer who she was. She is now a wife. She is connected to her husband in every way, including by name. Things are different for her now. Her new name represents a big event in her story. Life will never be the same again.

There are accounts in the Bible of God giving people new names. The most well known one is probably Saul, who became Paul when his life was drastically changed on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). Another example is Naomi, who changed her name to Mara. 'I went away full but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?' (Ruth 1:21)

A few months ago I started a journey with Jesus during which I have been learning who I am to Him. At one point I asked Him what His word for me was (because really when it comes down to it, names are just words after all). I'd been learning that we are all unique and that each one of us has value that no else has. I wanted to know what word distinctly describes that in me.

It took a few weeks of waiting, but Jesus did tell me what it was. I am “His Sparkle”. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect. It just fits like a glove! (Interestingly enough, it is fairly closely related to the name my parents gave me, which means “light”. This is another part of my journey; realizing that my value has been there all along, but I'm only starting to see it now.) Knowing this has given me a new strength. When I find myself slipping into self pity, or under attack, or feeling lost and confused, I say to myself “I am God's Sparkle”. I instantly feel more at peace and more confident

because I know that this is true about me. This word represents who I am to God and nothing can ever take it away.

When we get right down to it though – who we are, is who God made. All of the qualities we have and the things that make up our personalities are a part of God. It's sort of like God took all the parts of Himself and split them up between us in an infinite variety of combinations. I have found that the closer I am to God, the truer I am to myself. The more I submit to God, the more of who I really am comes out.

I think this is true of all of us. We all have good and bad in us and how we live emphasizes both to varying degrees. Whatever you currently believe about yourself, whatever you think comes to mind when people hear your name, I want to ask you if it's in line with who God made you to be? If your answer to that question is 'No', then I encourage you to pray about it and find out why. God has been teaching me that there are plenty of events that have happened in our lives that prevent us from being fully ourselves. These events have caused fear and doubt in our hearts, they have made us feel unworthy, or inconsequential and only when we get to the root of the problem can we move past the effects.

When we give our lives to Christ, we become new creations. This is a life changing event and for me it stands to reason that we should get new names to represent this. Or maybe it's more a case of taking up the names God gave us at the beginning and that we've rejected until now. So if it appeals to you, ask God what His name for you is, or His word, or His image. When He tells you, embrace it and realize that you are now on an exciting journey to become that person – the image of Christ, with a pure heart, and the only way to get there is to draw ever closer to God.

God created me as “His sparkle” and the closer I am to Him, the more brightly I shine. He is the light source I reflect.

I have found that the closer I am to God, the truer I am to myself. The more I submit to God, the more of who I really am comes out

4illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010

I really like to keep people happy. So much so that sometimes I compromise my own happiness for the sake of pleasing others, or to keep the peace and stay accepted. I've learnt that if I am ever to be truly happy, I have to realise that it's just not possible to please everyone.

Jesus didn't make everyone happy. In fact, He stirred up quite a bit of controversy and anger amidst certain crowds. He was not afraid to do what He knew best, even if it meant that some people would be unhappy about it. Why? Because He knew exactly who He was and He knew exactly what He had to do, He only listened to what the Father told Him to do, and of course, He obeyed.

What kind of person would our Lord have been if, for the sake of pleasing people and keeping the so-called 'peace', He had withdrawn His words that He was the son of God? He would have denied His own identity. At least He would have been accepted by the world right?

Jesus loves people. Even those He knew who were not pleased with Him, He loved them dearly. But He was not going to let them sway what He knew to be true and heard His Father tell Him, no matter how severely they rejected Him, even to the point of death. He is God, Saviour, Love, Mercy, Justice, People-lover...not people-pleaser.

Who are you? Do you compromise who you are for the sake of making others happy or being accepted?

It's taken me a long time to really know that I am a child of God. He loves and accepts me – in the words of Bridget Jones: 'just the way I am'.

I know, as Jesus did, that I need to listen to my Father and only do

what He tells me to do. I want to walk in Jesus's foot-steps, loving

others with everything I am and not compromising on who I am because

I need to please people.

Let's be God-pleasers because we're accepted, and a people-lovers so that we can allow His love to transform the world.

By Katy Breytenbach

Who are you?Do you compromise who you are for the

sake of making others happy

or being accepted?

“

“5

illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010 Designed by: Wanja Focaraccio

Imagine God decided to have a God-Line, much like our President now has. I wonder how many callers would be calling for just a chat; no complaints or pleas, just a simple chat? Probably not many, so maybe a God-Line would not be so wise. How about God joined Facebook and in His settings He only allowed His friends to write Him messages. He sits at His heavenly desk one fine Thursday evening and only has one message. He can’t believe it; out of millions of friends only

one wrote Him a message! He opens it and reads.

‘Who am I?’

He scrolls down hoping that there is more but alas, that’s it.

‘At least it didn’t start with “Dear God” and go on to tell me how useless I am,’ He confides in His thoughts. He takes a split second to think about where to start. He considers replying with a cheesy line but then reminds Himself that He is God and that this situation doesn’t call for cheese. He flirts

with the idea of also answering in three words: ‘Read your Bible’, ‘Find a mirror’, ‘Check your ID. ’He decides against such answers as He can see the place of confu-sion and desperation the question has been stirred up from. ‘Cheesy won’t do it and abruptness in this case is so not Me,’ He tells Him-self. He focuses on the words that

were not written, He hears the questions hidden behind the three words and finally when the split second has passed,

He begins to type....

6illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010 Designed by: Rachelle Mostert


My Child...

I don’t know if those two words mean much to you but long before we get into the nitty-gritty of who you are, I want you to know that you are my child. It is the firmest foundation to build on.

When I thought of you, long before anyone else, I couldn’t contain my excitement. When I finished creating you, I stood back and marveled and said to myself, ‘Masterpiece.’ You, my child are fearfully and wonderfully made. You were not a mistake but knit together in your mother’s womb by my hand.

You are my masterpiece.

You are the bearer of joy. Hearing you giggle fills me with inexpressible joy. I miss those days when you would run into the living room and snugly rock on my lap and fall asleep. It seems those days have come and gone. I assure you, the door is always open and only you, my child have the right to enter and hang out with me.You are my dearly beloved, who has wronged me a countless number of times but be-cause you are mine and know me; you are forgiven. While many swim in turbulent seas of despair and hardship, you swim in the ocean of grace and bask in the sun of love. You might not be able to see a bright future but I promise you that if you trust me, I will show you great and marvelous things. Your future is bright, full of hope and prosperity. In my eyes, you are a success and I am always rooting for you.You ask me who you are. You are my child, the apple of my eye who can never be too far removed from my love. Let every word and deed, every decision and thought reflect the fact that you are mine.

Whatever happens, whatever you go through, no matter how dark the night or deep the valley, know that I am with you for you are too precious for me to ever let you go.

Who are you?

You are my child whom I rejoice over with singing and dancing. Chat soonDaddy

840316 0 022 0 8 6

For those of you who have ever wondered how the South African ID number is defined…

Date of birth

Year Month Day

Sex Registration

Digits 8 to 10 represent order of birth registration on the given day. In this

instance, this person was the 22nd birth

registered on that day.

Citizen Index Control

0 to 4 is female5 to 9 is male

SA Citizen - 0 Non SA Citizen - 1

Represents the index number under which the person's particulars have been

included in the population register.

Control figure

determined by the

computer.

8

References: http://www.sadev.co.za/content/what-south-african-id-number-madehttp://www.ghostdigest.co.za/code/A_1340.html

The metaphorical

clothes we wear to give

us a sense of belonging,

help us cope with society's

expectations or

to hide our true selves.

Definition:

The world is a stage and it wants you to dress appropriately. To adapt, to thrive, to be accepted and to survive we clothe ourselves in expectations, insecurities, hopes, fears, stereotypes... the list goes on!

I look in my closet and decide what would be best to wear today. Will it be the labels I've been given since childhood? I see my 'good girl' dress, my 'nerdy' shirt and my 'clumsy' hat. 'On second thought', I wonder as I look out the window, 'it seems a bit chilly today. Perhaps an outfit from the expectations range would be better.' I reach for my 'got-it-all-together' scarf and my 'super-nice-no-backbone' pants. I wonder if these could match in any way.

I like hiding behind some clothes. When I wear my 'successful business woman' suit people take me seriously and don't see that I am terrified of being a no one. If I wear my 'hardcore party animal' skirt people won't think I'm boring. If I get the whole outfit perfect and make others around me feel less important, they might not notice how incapable I feel.

The 'clothes' we wear create the first impression. They help people to put us in categories. People love categories. They make the world easier to understand without having to make too much effort to get to know the real you. Once that's decided, people can convince you that a certain quality is a perfect fit even though it's more like wearing a sack than a tailored suit. I have seen many costumes in my day: the dumb pretty girl, the perfect over achiever, the class clown and the non conformist rebel to name a few. What often happens is you get used to these costumes, comfortable in their familiarity and you soon forget about what would truly be flattering. If people are told often enough that they are a certain way then that's exactly the image they'll wear, even though they may be capable of so much more.

All these thoughts race through my mind and I realise that somehow at the end of the day, when I'm alone and out of the view of the world, I'm left with a strange twang in my gut that something isn't quite right. Too many labels, too many expectations have left me suffocating in the smog of pretence. What role am I meant to be playing now? Where is the real me in this worldly wardrobe?

Take 1:

do

ub

le t

ake

by

Le

an

ne

Rh

od

es


Oh how I long to run free, like Adam and Eve in the garden. Bearing all they were without fear in the presence of God. Now don't worry, I'm not promoting that you strip down and wonder around the mall naked! Rather I am suggesting that the physical nakedness in this story can also reflect a spiritual and emotional nakedness too. Adam and Eve were described as naked and unashamed of it (Gen 2:25). It was only after they sinned that they suddenly felt shame. You can understand their feeling of vulnerability as for the first time they had something to hide. In their shame they tried to disguise this by actually manufacturing clothes. They then proceeded to try and hide from God.

How often do we manufacture ways to disguise the truth, to hide from our sin, our failures and our flaws? We may think it was crazy that Adam thought he could hide from the all knowing, all seeing Creator of the universe but we do exactly the same thing. We think we can fool people and God with our self-made clothes. God already knows everything about you. He sees through all your disguises and longs for you to call to Him for forgiveness, so He can wash you clean, so you too can stand before Him naked and unashamed and so He can give you new clothes - clothes that identify you as one of His prize possessions. In Galatians 3:27 it says 'All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.' In the Message it says, 'But now you have arrived at your destination: by faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfilment of God's original promise.' Through Jesus the shame of Eden is broken and the original relationship with God is restored.

These clothes don't hide the real you. Instead they are tailored for you, perfectly fitted to flatter the real you. So stop hiding and come before God. Do not fear being vulnerable in front of Him. If anything, with God, you can really be yourself without fear. And if you don't know who you are without your costume, then He will gently show you.

‘Since you have heard about Jesus and learned the truth that comes from him,

and your former way of life...Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

– truly righteous and holy.'

throw off your old sinful nature

Put on your new nature, created to be like God

Ephesians 4: 21

Take 2:


We all know how much time we spend at work. This leads many people in a pursuit of 'the perfect job', that one really fulfilling occupation where they know they are doing God's work. I was recently on that quest but in the end I found that God still has a lot to teach me where I am – in the corporate environment I've been working in for two years. One of the things I'm learning is how to be truly myself no matter where I am. Some of the lessons I've learnt recently are helping me survive as a Corporate Christian.

Don't fall into the judgement trap. I reached a stage when I was

so unhappy at work that I decided it was because of my faith. 'I'll

never fit in here', 'These people just aren't the same as me', 'No

one understands me' were all phrases I was heard to utter! We

are called to live a different life, to be set apart but still to be a

part of this world and our faith should never be an excuse to

distance ourselves from non-believers.

Be consistent. Decide how you will handle certain situations and try not to deviate from this. The drinking culture often goes hand in hand with the corporate culture and it's important to know how to handle these (sometimes weekly) events. If people get to know you early on as someone who is not a big drinker they will respect your boundaries.

Be true to yourself. It's easy to start believing the lie that

faith has no place in the workplace. Our faith should be

evident in every aspect of our lives and the workplace is

no exception to this. Don't Bible-bash your colleagues,

but don't hide your light under your workstation either!

Manage your stress. Every job has seasons of busyness but stress is one of the biggest killers of a Spirit-filled life. Test your reactions to see if stress is making you impatient, unkind and stealing your peace. Remember the fruits of the Spirit and try to develop them no matter how tense work may be at the moment. Take prayer breaks to touch base with God during the day.

Guard your heart. In a corporate environment it

is important to sell yourself and get recognition

for what you've achieved. But ensure that when

you are doing this you do not become jealous of

others. There will always be people who do their

job better (or worse) than you. Recognize your

God given value. Just because you do

something differently does not mean you don't

do it well.

Look for opportunities. We spend more

time with colleagues than we do with

family and friends. Be on the lookout for

opportunities to show the people you

work with God's love.

Give God the glory. If you do achieve greatness in a work environment, remember who gave you your talents in the first place and recognize Him in all you do

Tithe. A nice fat salary is often one of the benefits of working in a big company. Develop the habit of giving 10% back to God. This is something we are called to be obedient in and it will help you protect your heart from greed. Keep in mind that this applies to bonuses as well!

Lucy Rip

11illumin8 - Edition 15 - April 2010 Designed by: Wanja Focaraccio

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Issue 15: The Identity Issue