What’s Your Identity?

Edited from “What is Your Identity?” CrossLeadership.com, July 23, 2012 What is your identity? Who are you? When it comes right down to it, what makes you who you are? This is not just a philosophical query. It’s a substantial life question. The answer to the question— “who am I?” —determines how you live your life. The problem is that many people — even Christians — base their identity on the wrong scale. Choosing Identities What is your identity? Many people find their identity in one or more of the following: Conservative/ Liberal/ NDP (Canada) Republican/ Democrat (US) Intellectual/ Educated/Wealthy/Powerful/Celebrity Canadian/American/European/Asian/African/Indian/Chinese/Korean Evangelical/Baptist/Pentecostal/Presbyterian/Anglican/Orthodox Hard worker/High Achiever/Inspirational/Creative/Thinker/Activist Tolerant/Compassionate/Motivated/Committed Attractive/ Popular/Young/Athletic/Respected/Admired Identity Crisis There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these labels. The problem begins when these things become more important than who we are as Jesus-followers. Our identity in Christ should eclipse any other identifiers to which we cling. Anything less than an identity in Christ is an identity sham. We sin when we try to find our identity in anything else besides God. Sure, we’re affected by our age, race, income, intellect, voting record, or whatever-else. But these things do not and ought not define our identity. We all have a point upon which we center our life. Unless that focal point is God, we are going to find ourselves in an endless identity crisis. Our Identity Chosen for Us As Tim Keller says, “Our security, our priorities, our sense of worth and uniqueness – all the things we call identity – should be based on what God has done for us and in us.” God is the essence of our identity. It’s not our physical appearance, our job, our family, our income status, our nationality, our political affiliations, or even our denominational preference. It’s God — who He is and what He’s done. Through Christ, God has become our Father; we’re His sons & daughters, His heirs [Gal. 4:1-7]. When this essence of our identity controls our thinking, our actions, our behavior and our life, everything gets a lot clearer. Our identity has been chosen for us. It was chosen when God chose us and we accepted Christ. This magnificent life- change is such a radical transformation that it is our new identity. Paul described it in terms of a dead person being made alive [Eph.2]. Jesus spoke of it as being born again. Now, we have a new identity. Our identity is found in Christ. Long after our physical beauty has faded with age, our strength & health has diminished, our career and wealth achievements have faded in the “rear-view mirror,” we will still be God’s beloved children, sons & daughters of the living God and heirs together with Christ. Our true identity in Christ won’t fade or falter. So, what’s your identity? When we come to the point where we realize that Jesus Christ is everything, and that He is neither a Conservative nor Liberal, neither Republican, nor Democrat, traditional, nor hipster, or what-have-you [Gal. 3:28], then we begin to see ourselves in a clearer way. Jesus defines us. He is enough, because He is everything. Let us drop the pretense of false identities, and thrive in the ultimate satisfaction of being identified 100% as Christ’s followers.