A reflection on Identity by Tsion Driba
Tsion Diriba ministers in the youth ministry at Beza International Church and was the former Africa Arise Coordinator.
God is a linguist.
We know him to be the source of all language; not in the way of human dialect but in all the ways He chooses to communicate who He is to us. The best way He has done this is through His son (Heb 1:2). Another way He has communicated is through humanity, His creation!
God used Himself as the standard and source when He began to narrate humanity. This shows that our Identity is very important to Him, and if this is the case, that means it should be important to us as well.
On the first night of Africa Arise, our Pastor poured oil on the place of Identity’ and we prayed for the breaking of all the false narratives that defined our Identity in the African church.
Why was that necessary?
It was necessary because God’s narratives always precede and give way to His plan. In Job 38:2, we hear the Lord speaking to Job “Who is this that obscures my plan with words without knowledge”. Many times, we perceive words without knowledge (narratives not sourced from God/not sourced from light) and end up obscuring God’s plan. Seeing where the African church is today, it is obvious that she is not fully living out the plan sourced from light. We have witnessed and are witnessing so much darkness. This is due to the false narratives that have been spoken about her.
But in this season of the Gathering, because the children of God understood how vital identity is in the spirit, we came together and agreed in prayer for a changed narrative once and for all. With the prophetic act of pouring oil, we were able to restore God’s purest language for Africa.
Then what now?
NOW as we continue to embrace and live out our identity, it becomes vital that we focus our eyes on his continued redemptive plan. Every action of the Lord is for redemption and the way we perceive it will affect how we live out that restoration. When we think of Africa rising in her truest identity, it is nothing but FOR redemption. The areas most damaged would become wells of healing; the hands of those who were abused will extend to bless. and misused resources will become streams of water for the nations.