True Identity

"Put aside the ranger.  Become who you were born to be."  These are the words Lord Elrond says to Aragorn when he gives him Anduril, the sword forged from the broken sword Narsil.  Aragorn is the heir of King Isildur of Gondor, the man who cut the Ring of Power from Sauron's hand but was not strong enough to destroy it.  Fearing that he will fall to the same weakness, Aragorn has many doubts about claiming his throne in Gondor.  For a long time his true identity was hidden and he was simply Strider, a mysterious ranger from the North.  But Elrond knows he has the strength to unite the people of Middle Earth and he believes in him.  Aragorn listens to Elrond and takes the sword and eventually becomes the King of Gondor.  He overcomes his fears and his past and he truly does become who he was born to be.  

      This is such a beautiful picture of me and God. He can see my full potential and he knows who I am born to be.  He has given me his word as my sword and he's saying to me, "Put aside all the sin and fear!  Your identity is not in the past, it is in Jesus.  Take my word and go fight for me.  Become who I created you to be!"  It doesn't matter what I have done because Jesus died for me and God loves me and He wants to see me become who He knows I can be.
      
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17