Found in the FightNäide

A Stolen Birthright

If you open your Instagram profile and scroll through reels you’ve posted over the past month or longer, you’ll probably be able to share something difficult that was really going on in your life at the time, that no one seeing the post could possibly have known about. We live in a curated world and we’re part of a culture that pushes us to portray perfection. Jacob’s story reminds us that we should rather pursue authenticity by remembering our true identity and trusting that God’s plans and purposes for us are far better than any cheap, counterfeit alternatives on offer from the world.

Jacob’s fight for identity becomes prevalent when he uses the delicious stew he’s cooking to persuade his (hungry) brother Esau to sell his birthright. He knows Isaac plans to pass on the inheritance to Esau and is compelled by insecurity to take matters into his own hands. When you’re not secure in who you are, you have no assurance that God has your best interests at heart, so you strive to make things happen in your own strength. Perhaps you’ve been tempted to curate your personal reality – on social media, in your career space, or elsewhere – in order to control others’ perceptions of you, and so get ahead.

Mesmerised by the aroma of the stew, Esau doesn’t recognise or value his true identity. It seems he sells his birthright to Jacob with hardly a thought. Both brothers have insatiable appetites for things not in their possession (an inheritance; a great meal). They desperately long to be filled – by the wrong means. They end up trading what they want most for what they want now. Esau is impulsive and impatient. Jacob is envious and manipulative. It’s helpful to ask yourself: do I see more of myself in Esau or in Jacob? What makes my metaphorical stomach grumble? What are the ‘bowls of stew’ offering me immediate but short-lived satisfaction? In which areas of my life do I most long for affirmation or recognition?

Perhaps, like Esau and Jacob, feeling inadequate has led you to embrace a false identity. You’ll likely be able to testify that this didn’t lead to greater peace and joy, but rather increased strife and heartache. Ultimately, living behind a mask will stop you from fulfilling your destiny. You have a spiritual inheritance in Christ. As a child of God, there are things with your name on them that God has set aside for you. You have a birthright that the devil can’t steal; it’s not in his power. Each day, you have a choice to show up and be who God created you to be, or to disguise your true self. The latter may feel temporarily rewarding, but in the process, you’ll fail to connect with God. He invites you to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be, so you can become who you already are, and have been, all along.