When I went through my Tres Dias weekend in 2010 in North Texas, I was suffering from a major identity crisis. I let the words spoken over me, actions of my friends and family and my poor lifestyle choices define who I was. Not only did it impact my decisions, but it changed the way I saw myself. My candidate experience was great starting point for me and turned my life around – back to Christ, but I still carried around “my testimony” like a scarlet letter. I think as Christians we tend to let our testimonies define us. Using our testimonies to help free others is different than letting or testimonies continue to burden and define us – keeping us from moving on and moving closer to Christ.

That’s exactly what I was allowing myself to do. I was allowing myself to be forever marked as the classic college student who messed up and now must prove to herself and everyone else that I have changed. But, who is this mysterious crowd of people I must convince and why should I place their opinions above Christ’s?

I knew Christ loved me, I knew I was forgiven, but I wasn’t walking out my lifestyle and identifying myself as forgiven – defined by how Christ sees me – not by how I see myself or, even worse, how others see me.

For me, Tres Dias, my reunion groups and a network of like-minded Christian women have helped me see that my testimony doesn’t have to be my identity – God has already restored my identity and I needed to start walking out in it.

The theme for my weekend is just that – Restored Identity. Restored is the keyword. The Word says that Jesus gives us a new identity when we turn our lives over to Him, but that newness is just how we perceive it. It’s not new for Jesus. We choose to strap ourselves with shame, remorse and labels that society places on us and try to please everyone, but that’s not how Christ sees us or has ever seen us. The identity that Christ has always had for us has never been about our bad choices or the opinions of others – we are complete and perfectly made and we need to stop walking around like we are anything less.

The verse that has been laid on my heart is John 5:8-9a NIV.

“8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

I think a lot of us are not living our lives as restored. We are still laying on that mat and Jesus is just asking us to stand up, pick up our mats and go. That mat was once that man’s identity. I bet it stunk and had stains all over it. I bet every time that man laid on that mat, he felt despair. He laid on that mat for 38 years – paralyzed. But, when he was healed…he stood up, took that mat and walked. That mat turned from being that man’s identity, his identifier, to a testament of God’s grace. I bet that man didn’t lay on that mat again!

But, I know that isn’t the case for some of you. You may be still laying on that mat by those pools waiting for a healing that already came. Maybe you walked for a bit and then went right back to that mat. Or perhaps you just carry your mat around to remind you of all the lousy decisions you made and moments you can’t get back.

The verse goes on to talk about how the Pharisees became upset when they saw the man walking with his mat. Their interpretation of the Sabbath prevented someone from carrying around a mat on that day. That’s pretty normal for a lot of us in our walks, someone is always there to tell us how we should be living, what our identity should be – and how we are not living up to it. They missed the fruits – this man was walking after 38 years!

I’ve met a lot of Christians still laying down, carrying around their mats or keeping them in storage. You just may not call it a mat. Instead you may call it chronic pain, living with depression, having a solid testimony, being an addict, suffering from trauma or abuse…but where is the peace in that? Is that the extent of our capacity? Where is God’s grace? Where is our victory? I want you to have more than a 30-day chip. You are more than a woman living with bitterness. You aren’t defined by the number of church services you attend on Sunday. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, you don’t have to escape your past and you sure as heck don’t need it to define your future. That man who was healed…he didn’t earn it! You don’t have to prove to Christ that you are changed, you don’t have to earn the healing. Get off the mat!

I know this weekend will be a weekend of healing and change. Real life change. Not just for candidates, but for all the team as well. It’s amazing that in just three days you can be changed – but this man on the mat was changed in a moment! Do you know your identity? Are you walking out in your Christ-given identity? Remember, Christ met the man at the pools, he came expecting a change, he came with hope – if you want change and know someone who needs the gift too, meet Him on The Weekend.

KCTD #13 Women’s Dates are: March 22nd – 25th  , 2018

Theme: Restored Identity

Scripture: John 5:8-9a NIV

Colors: Cyan Ocean Blue, Snow White, Silver

Weekend Song: Here’s My Heart by Lauren Daigle

Symbols: Mirrors, Snowflakes, Swords

 

About Me: 


My name is Samantha Stultz and I serve at Westside Family Church and attend The Cause Church. I love serving in Kansas City Tres Dias where I am honored to use my media giftings to glorify The Lord on the KCTD Board. I am humbled to serve as the youngest Tres Dias Rector on record and am so excited to serve alongside my fellow warriors in Christ at the upcoming KCTD #13 weekend.

You have probably seen me not so casually film you at a team meeting or tag you in a photo on our social media pages. In my free time I enjoy solo dance parties, winery tours, overcommitting in other ministries, being way too competitive at board games and spending anytime I can outdoors – hiking, hunting and camping.

I am so blessed to see this community grow from 12 candidates (KCTD #1) to 43 (KCTD #12) in just a few years. God has so many great things planned for KCTD and what excites me the most is that I have already seen some of His promises come to fruition. I have seen healing, deliverances, salvations and spiritual manifestations. I have seen broken, devastated women be healed in God’s name. I have seen stagnant, dry women be rejuvenated with the love of Christ and I know God is just getting started.

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