Laying The Foundation for 2026 (Part 7): Rediscovering Your Identity

https://youtu.be/pvnx9TOKNmQ

Today, we continue our focus on “THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY.” In 2026, we are embarking on a journey of growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As part of this foundation for the year, we have been exploring how the Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to us. Now that we understand how the Spirit communicates, we must focus on the most important discovery you will make this year: who you are in Christ. To find, follow, and finish your purpose, you must first rediscover your identity from Heaven’s perspective.

Key scriptures for this year:

(2 Peter 3:18 GNT)

“But continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever.”

(Luke 10:20 Mirror)

“It’s time for you to rediscover who you are from Heaven’s perspective.”

(1 John 3:10 Mirror)

“There is a very visible and vast difference between living one’s life from your God identity or from a fallen mindset.”

(Proverbs 25:2 NLT)

“It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.”

(Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Scripture we will study today:

(1 John 3:1-2 TPT)

“Look at how great the Father’s love is for us! He has allowed us to be called children of God—and that is who we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is.”

Setting the Stage:

In Part 6, we learned that God gave us His Spirit so we could know His “private thoughts” concerning our lives. Today, we move from the mechanism or process of discovery (the Holy Spirit) to the foundation of discovery: Your Identity.

You will never maximize a year you do not understand, and you cannot understand your year until you understand yourself. Most people spend their lives trying to “find themselves” through external achievements, relationships, or career titles. But in the Kingdom, discovery doesn’t happen by looking in a natural mirror; it happens by looking into the Word and listening to the Spirit. Your future is within you! When you see Him as He is, you finally begin to see yourself as you are.

So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.

1. Your Discovery of Self Must Begin with God’s Discovery of You.

Before you were ever born, God “discovered” you in His heart. He saw your beginning from your end and pre-packaged you with everything you would need to succeed. Your journey in 2026 is not about creating a new version of yourself, but about uncovering the original version that God already established in eternity.

How this applies to you:

— You are not a self-made person; you are a God-revealed person. Every talent, desire, and divine impulse you have was placed there by the Father before the foundations of the world.

— Discovery in 2026 means peeling back the layers of who the world told you to be so you can find who God already said you are.

— When you look for your identity in your performance, you will always be unstable, because performance fluctuates. But when you find it in God’s love and grace, you become unshakable because God’s commitment to you is settled in heaven.

— God’s love is the atmosphere where true discovery takes place. You must believe what God believes about you by faith, and faith works by love. You cannot find your true self in an environment of fear or condemnation, which is another reason why religion is so dangerous. Performance-based religion creates an environment that breeds fear, doubt, condemnation, and unbelief.

— The Father has “allowed” you to be called His child, which means He has granted you the legal standing of a son or daughter with full inheritance rights. You did not earn it. This position was freely given to you by grace.

— Your primary job this year is to agree with God about who He says you are, even when your feelings or circumstances say otherwise. I’ve told you before that your life will change forever the day you believe what God believes about you. 

2. The World Cannot Recognize Your True Identity Because It Is Hidden in Christ.

John explains that the reason the world doesn’t “know” us is that it didn’t know Him. If you are looking for validation from the world, you will always be confused about your identity. 

How this applies to you:

— You must stop seeking validation from people who don’t have the Spirit of God. They are blind to the “real you” that exists in the spirit realm. All they can see is what you present to them, so they will judge you according to what they see and what you do instead of who you are in God’s kingdom and what God called you to do. This is why you need someone in your life who can prophetically see into your future and who can declare what they see. You must give them the right to speak into your life. 

— Your God-identity will often contradict your social media profile, your bank account, or your past mistakes. Trust the Spirit’s report over the world’s report.

— Being “unknown” to the world is actually a sign of your transformation. If the world completely understands you, you might still be living from a natural mindset.

— In 2026, you must become comfortable with being different. You are a citizen of Heaven assigned to the earth, and your “accent” should reflect your home country. Faith has a language, and you should sound like heaven. 

— When you are secure in who you are from Heaven’s perspective, you no longer feel the need to compete, compare, or complain.

— You are a living mystery to those who live only by logic. Your peace, your joy, and your success are “spiritually discerned” and cannot be explained by natural means. God designed us to live so differently from this world that the people in this world will be drawn to the difference that they see in us. If they don’t see any difference, then it’s time for you to check the way you’re living. 

3. Discovery is a Progressive Reveal of Your Future Glory.

John says, “what we will be has not yet been revealed.” This means that as much as you discover today, there is always more to find. God reveals your identity in increments and stages because you wouldn’t be able to handle the fullness of your destiny all at once. Discovery is the process of your “now” catching up to your “future.”

How this applies to you:

— You are a work in progress, but you are a masterpiece in the making. Don’t be discouraged by what hasn’t manifested yet; focus on what is being revealed.

— Every challenge you face in 2026 is an opportunity for a new part of your identity to be discovered and displayed.

— You are “God’s child now,” not “someday.” Your status is a present reality, but your capacity is constantly expanding through the Spirit. The more God reveals, and the more you receive and respond to that revelation, the more you evolve and become who you are called to be. To be clear, you are not becoming based on your performance. You are actually becoming based on revelation. This is why our current focus on discovery is so important.  

— As you grow in the knowledge of Jesus, you automatically grow in the knowledge of yourself because you are in Him.

— The more you see Jesus in the Word, the more you see your potential reflected back at you. In other words, the more you understand who he is, the more you will understand who you are and what you’re called to do. 

— Discovery requires patience and persistence. Some things about your future are “locked” until you reach the level of maturity required to manage them. In other words, there are some things that God will not reveal unto you until the right time and until you mature to the point where you can handle the weight of the revelation. 

— This year, you should expect sudden insights and “aha!” moments where the Spirit shows you a version of yourself you never imagined was possible. Be ready for those moments and be quick to receive them. Do not talk yourself out of them. Write them down, meditate on them, and walk in the truth of what God is revealing. 

4. Seeing Him Clearly is the Key to Becoming Like Him Practically.

The promise is that “when Christ appears, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is.” While this has an ultimate fulfillment when Jesus returns, it has a practical application today. As you behold the Lord through the Spirit and the Word, you are being transformed into His image from glory to glory. You become what you behold!

How this applies to you:

— Your focus determines your transformation. If you focus on your flaws, you’ll stay flawed; if you focus on His grace, you’ll become gracious and empowered.

— In this Year of Discovery, make it your goal to “see Him as He really is” in every situation. When you see His power, you discover your authority.

— You will never receive what you cannot perceive, and you will never replicate what you have not beheld. Spending time in God’s presence is how you “catch” the glimpses of the future God planned.

— Transformation is not about trying harder; it’s about seeing clearer. When you see your righteousness in Christ, you naturally stop acting unrighteously. In other words, while religion is trying to get you to stop sinning by thinking about not sinning and by developing the discipline to do so. While grace just gives you a revelation of who you are. Once you know who you are, you just live free from sin. 

— God reveals his plans for your future to you while you’re still a work in progress. In other words, the Holy Spirit is like a divine architect showing you the finished building (your destiny) while you are still a construction site. 

— The good news is that if God revealed it, and you saw it, and you believed it, and you embraced it, then it’s only a matter of time before you become it! 

That’s enough for today.

Declaration of Faith:

Father, I thank You for the great love You have showered upon me!

I declare that I am Your child NOW, and my identity is settled in Your heart!

I refuse to look in the mirror of the world to find out who I am; I look into Your Word and see my true self!

I am rediscovering my identity from Heaven’s perspective, and it is glorious!

I am not defined by my past, my performance, or the opinions of others; I am defined by Your grace!

I am a citizen of Heaven, an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ!

I walk with confidence today because I am hidden in Christ, and my life is secure in Him!

I am being transformed into Your image as I behold Your glory through the Spirit!

I am living from my God-identity, and the world will see the “visible difference” Your grace makes!

I am Living the Grace Life in my Year of Discovery, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!

I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!