My True Identity

Faith Fusion was fortunate to be visited by Dr. Michael Balcomb, the National President of the Family Federation for World Peace. He spoke on the topic of discovering our true identity. With his typical candor and humor he encouraged us to ask ourselves, “How does God really see me?”

All of us can lay claim to the most worthy title of being God’s son or daughter and yet most of the time we have a hard time feeling our value. We travel aimlessly through life searching for our path, all the while looking over our shoulder afraid of an angry God who is about to strike us.

Nevertheless, the Bible promises something very different:

“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will restore your fortunes.” – Jeremiah 29:11-14

To believe this statement you have to encounter God as a parent rather than a judge or a mighty, but emotionally distant creator. Dr. Balcomb went on to share the parable of the prodigal son, which is a timeless story of unconditional parental love. He also recounted a similar tale from the Lotus Sutra of a king’s quest to reach his disaffected son. These two stories inform us of the incredible depth and breadth of a parent’s heart. These stories are ultimately a window into the soul of God himself. And so the question is, “How does God really see me?”

Watch excerpts from this weeks message:

Main Points of the Sunday Message by Dr. Micheal Balcomb:

God Has a Plan

But there’s a problem …
We don’t know the plan …
We’ve forgotten who we are.

Like the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, we may have taken our inheritance and gone our own way. Seeking fortune but only finding misery, looking in all the wrong places for what was already our birthright, if we had only understood our parent’s heart.

Dr. Balcomb told a Buddhist story that went into greater detail about how the father searched for his son, and even when he found him, the father had to sacrifice his position, to find a way to make a relationship with his son. It’s a story worth reading.

Lotus Sutra 4 – the Lost Son (you will find both stories at this link)

The impoverished son, crying out in terror,sank to the ground in distress.”This man has seized me and is surely going to put me to death!
The rich man knew that his son was ignorant and self-abasing.” He will never believe my words, will never believe I am his father.”

The father and son are in pain because they need each other.

Knowing who we are:
As the true owners (inheritors) of God’s Heavenly Kingdom

And what we need to do:
Let us practice True Love

Helps us find our identity:
And come to resemble the Creator, Our Heavenly Parent!