BELOVED—YOUR EMPOWERED IDENTITY

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" – 1 John 3:1a (NIV)

Life can be hard. It can catch us by surprise and leave us spinning. But when trials come, as Christians we must have an anchor—a truth that grounds us.

After a fifteen-month battle with breast cancer, I have found this to be vital. I’d love to say cancer was the only challenge I faced this past year, but that wouldn’t be real life. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. In those moments, I have needed truth to anchor and steady me—not just any truth, but the perfect truth of God’s Word, revealed by the Holy Spirit.

In the Bible, I am encouraged by the apostle John and his description of himself: “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20, NIV). I smile every time I read it, because John wrote this about himself! Jesus never assigned him that title. John chose it. He identified himself by one unshakable truth: he was deeply loved by Jesus.

What makes this remarkable is that John wrote his Gospel decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection, long after those daily walks and talks. By then, he had endured more suffering than most of us can imagine. He faced persecution, imprisonment, and fierce opposition while guiding the early church. He lost his brother James—the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1–2, NIV)—and carried the grief of outliving all the disciples, his closest friends. Tradition even tells us John was boiled in oil and survived, only to be exiled later to the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9, NIV).

That kind of suffering could make anyone bitter, questioning, “Why, Lord? What did I do to deserve this?” Yet John didn’t let pain define him. He didn’t let suffering name him. Instead, he anchored his identity in being beloved by Jesus.

To be beloved means to be deeply loved, dearly cherished, and highly valued. It is more than affection—it is favor and relationship. It means being chosen and wanted by God Himself.

This is the truth John declared: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV). And for those who receive Jesus, he reminds us: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1a, NIV).

God loves the whole world, but His children know His unique, covenant love. It’s like this: I love many people, but my husband and children—they are my beloved. They have my special attention, my favor, and my deepest affection. That is how God loves us—His beloved children.

Jesus was the first to be called Beloved. At His baptism and at His transfiguration, the Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5 NKJV). And this was before Jesus performed even a single miracle! His identity as Beloved came from His relationship with the Father, not from His works. Through Christ, Ephesians 1:6 says we too are “accepted in the Beloved.” That is our true identity—secure, unchanging, and not dependent on performance.

Life will test that identity. The enemy will whisper lies: “God doesn’t love you. God doesn’t care.” But like John, we must cling to the truth. He faced many disappointments and trials, yet he never stopped calling himself the one Jesus loved. Neither should we!

No matter your circumstances—ministry struggles, financial pressures, family burdens, or health battles—your identity hasn’t changed. You are still Beloved! You are not forgotten. You are not overlooked. You are highly valued and deeply cherished.

That truth has been my anchor. I pray it will be yours! Let it empower you to stand firm, walk forward, and lift your head high!

Say it. Believe it. Live it:“I am the one Jesus loves. I am Beloved!”

Dawn Lipsey is a credentialed minister in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), serving alongside her husband, Edwin, as lead pastors since 1994, and currently lead the South Cleveland Church of God in Cleveland, TN. Dawn holds a business degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and serves as a church administrator, as well as in various leadership roles and on boards within her denomination. In 2022, she was elected as the first chairwoman of the Tennessee Church of God State Ministries Board. Dawn has helped create and launch connect groups for both credentialed women in ministry and pastors' wives across Tennessee and beyond.

Dawn was created by God to be a hope speaker and fulfills this calling by sharing the Word of God as a writer, speaker, teacher, and mentor so others can experience God's plan of freedom and abundant life. She is the co-author of Hope Over Discouragement and the author of I Can, I Will and her newest release and six-week study, Wild, Loud Peace. A breast cancer survivor, Dawn enjoys a full life with her husband and their children—Payton, Easton, Ethan, and son-in-love, Zech—along with their super-chill dog, Mr. Higgins.

Facebook/Instagram: @dawnlipsey www.dawnlipseyministries.com info@dawnlipseyministries.com