Back in Bible days, if you would have asked Jacob "Who are you?" he would have said, "I'm a cheater. I'm a deceiver. I'm a liar." But really, that's not who he is, that's what he did. We've all done things we're not proud of. We've all made mistakes and said things we didn't mean. But because of the blood of Jesus, God isn't holding that against us. When we repent, scripture says He takes our sin and casts it as far as the east is from the west and remembers it no more. Always remember, God looks beyond your behavior, beyond your performance, and He sees you for who you really are: a person of destiny created in His image with a purpose to fulfill.
If we are going to be all God has called us to be, we have to separate our "doing" from our "being". If you live in guilt and condemnation, it will keep you from receiving the mercy and blessing of God. It will limit your life. That's why it's so important to shake off the past and say, "No, I am not what I did. I may have failed at my marriage, but I am not a failure." "I may be struggling with alcohol, but I am not an alcoholic. I'm a child of Almighty God, and I know my destiny is bigger than my mistakes. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength and I will overcome!"