"I'm 'the sick one' now—my illness is my identity and who people see me as."
How it sounds in your head: Everyone knows me as the girl with chronic fatigue. My Instagram bio has my diagnosis. When I meet people, my illness comes up in the first five minutes. I've become my disease.
"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.'"
-- Isaiah 43:1Enemy strategy to replace covenant identity with circumstantial label, reinforced by medical system that names you by diagnosis.
Every doctor's appointment reinforces the label. Her social media support groups center around the disease name. She's introduced herself with her diagnosis so many times it feels permanent.
Known publicly for 12 YEARS as 'the bleeding woman'—her ENTIRE identity was her illness, unclean by law, avoided by everyone. One touch of Jesus and IMMEDIATELY she became 'Daughter' (v.34)—identity transformed from disease label to FAMILY in one moment.
I REFUSE the lie that my diagnosis defines me. IT IS WRITTEN that I have been called by MY NAME, not my disease's name. I am NOT 'a chronic illness patient who happens to believe'—I am a DAUGHTER of the King who happens to be in a body that's being transformed. IT IS WRITTEN in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that I am a NEW CREATION—old labels passed away. The BARAK blessing of Abraham is mine through Christ—the same blessing that protected LIARS and DECEIVERS protects me, and it's based on COVENANT, not my current symptoms. I am HIS before I am anything else.
The Father sees the NAME He gave you before foundation of the world, not the diagnosis the doctor gave last year. While you were still identifying with the disease, He was running toward you with your REAL name written on His lips and the robe of righteousness in His hands.