Important to All - Identity Wars Feedback (Njuguna Faith)
IMPORTANT TO ALL- Identity Wars review
I am Njuguna Faith, a young lady from eastern part of Africa, Kenya. I came in contact with the book Identity Wars after meeting a young man named Allan. He shared the soft copy book with me as at the time he wasn’t carrying a hard copy. If I was really in need of it, I could access it as one of my sisters had received a hard copy. Apart from Identity Wars, he shared some other books such as Christ’s Mission, Faith Journey and the Two Mirrors. Among all the books I got, I couldn’t get myself to read Identity Wars, but I read some of the others.
I had in a way come to view Identity Wars as a book that is meant to judge and condemn me, and this made me not read it. Other of my friends who were lucky to get the book read it and made their reviews, but this didn’t change my perception though. Allan didn’t give up on me as he’d keep on reminding me to read it. I couldn’t see the need of it, so I’d ignore him or tell him I’ll read it later. That was until a few weeks ago when I decided to read the book. It was to my astonishment that I read it all. I finally realized that all along it was the effect of the Duracell Tree that was making it hard for me to close my eyes from the truth. Thanks to our caring and merciful father, he opened my eyes.
What is the Duracell Tree? It is the principle that Satan convinced Adam and Eve of. This is how the book explains it:
He [Satan] offered a kingdom that promised power and satisfaction to all that would embrace it. This kingdom is based on two core principles:
1. You have life in yourself making you totally independent of any external benefactor or authority.
2. Our environment contains people, objects and things that, if possessed or associated with, can make us more powerful, more enlightened and more fulfilled in life.
Through this tree of knowledge, Satan was offering a battery powered existence; a life without the need for any external benefactor or authority, hence the title of this chapter—The Duracell Tree. Satan would tell us that the cells of our bodies will remain ever durable if we follow his philosophy on life.
The Duracell Tree of Satan is contrasted to God's kingdom, which operates by recognizing that we are always receiving life from God, which He loves to give us because He is our Father. Getting to understand how the kingdom of God operates was the great message to receive at these times. I learned that only by being a child of God, I am counted as a citizen of His kingdom - it is not something I need to earn. This is a blessing. All through my life I have struggled with issues dealing with self-worth and competitiveness, as I have always loved to be at the front line. Reading the book, I understood that God doesn’t require me to prove myself worthy - He loves me, and His love will give me worth. I also got to know that whenever I succeed in something, all the honors should go to Him; and also if I fail, I shouldn’t be discouraged. I must admit, the book is a blessing.
Many of the times we allow ourselves to be controlled by the Duracell spirit - we rely on ourself - in the areas of life that we perceive as so small a matter that it isn’t costly. The truth is that most of those little things are the things that really matter. Same in the Christian's life and faith: you have to be faithful in the little things for you to be trusted with much. Satan takes advantage of this in the attempt to continue growing his Kingdom. It will only be after we understand this and ask for help from our Heavenly Father in all things, not just the big things, that we will be able to come of the Babylon that is controlled by the Duracell. Our Heavenly Dather’s love is beyond measure. We need to allow Him to declare to us as He declared to His beloved Son during his baptism: "You are my beloved child, in whom I delight". We are His beloved sons and daughters. We need to hear those word for us to fully receive the gift of the cross.
Participating in ministry work e.g., by giving devotions, is something I usually enjoy doing. What I never knew is that the worst part is that this Duracell controls even our churches today: people do these things in their own wisdom and as a way to gain self-worth, not realizing we are being influenced by Satan's principles of value and eros-love. There is a lot of disunity and decrease of agape-love; many people enjoy manipulating others and being served rather than serving others. We do the direct opposite of what Jesus Christ advised His disciples. We all need to pray about this and learn to serve and not be served, and let go of the pride that Satan tries to tell us is being offended. Every person in the kingdom is a child of God and is worth of respect and dignity.
Sometimes we get ourselves so deep into situations and by the time we realize it, our controlling spirit tells us there is no way out. Our Heavenly Father has not left us at the edge of a cliff but has set a way for us to return to Him in the easiest way. It’s just by believing in Him. As mentioned, the secret to come out of the Duracell is to no longer be a servant but to be a daughter or a son. When we recognize that we are accepted in the Beloved, that we are indeed God’s children through the sacrifice of Jesus, all our insecurity and worthlessness is swept away, and we stand free as children of God.
Looking back now, I wish I had read the book earlier. The Identity Message (series of 5 presentations) is a crucial message that must be presented to all children, youths, adults, believers and non-believers. I look forward to being one of those who will participate in doing so. May the good Lord help us all.
AMEN
