"With the semester winding down, you're probably under a little bit of stress. You lack sleep. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you think about is when in the day you'll be able to crawl back into bed. You're anxiety level is high. It's that tight feeling in your gut. And your mind is racing, trying to cram tons of (sometimes useless) information. Added to that are your complex relationships - people at college, friends back home, family, etc. - and you don't know how you can manage it all.
And in the middle of all this noise, busyness and stress, you begin to forget who you really are. You end up being "the student," "the boyfriend/girlfriend," "the student worker," "the test taker," "the frat guy," "the people pleaser." When Satan tempted Jesus, three times he questioned his identity with the word "if." "If you are the Son of God." Or for you, maybe it's "if you are a good student..." "if you get through this semester." "If you ever have any real friends." "If people really like you." "If you're really worthy of being here." "If anyone really cares about you."
"If" is an uncertain word. It casts doubt on who you are. But notice Jesus' response each time. Every time he counters Satan, he uses the Word of God, and he clings to his identity in God. You might be entirely stressed and ready to quit. But this is precisely the place where all the scaffolding gets torn down and you've got no crutch to lean on. You realize it's just you - weak, broken, vulnerable. And this is exactly where God wants you. You are forced to surrender totally and unconditionally to Jesus Christ. And then you realize what your true identity is. It is not based on what you can do, or the reputation you can create, or the party animal you are, or the student you aspire to be. At the heart of it, your identity is simply as a child of God.
Stop. Pause. Look away from the computer or TV screen. Stop texting for a minute. Be quit, and hear this: You have been died for, and you are loved by God. This is your first identity. One who is incorporated into Jesus (Rom. 6:3,4). You have been won back by God. This is who you are. Only from this identity can you really begin to take tests, hang with friends, and deal with family. When you're grounded in your first identity, everything else falls into place.
So my prayer for you today is relief from anxiety if it is God's will. But even more- that the struggle, the anxiety, and the trial would remind you of your true identity. And in this, Jesus transforms you."
