Take Your Seatনমুনা

Day 6: Solidifying Your Identity:

Genesis 45 covers the long-anticipated reveal of Joseph’s identity to his brothers.

When it was time – when he could no longer hold back his tears and emotions – Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers: “I AM JOSEPH!” He was secure in who he was because he had been walking in purpose, vision, and leadership the whole time.

Joseph, despite being in a different area than he was used to, and in a different seat, never lost sight of his identity. Your seat, your role, your performance, and your location do not define your identity!

Have you lost sight of who you are? Have you let your seat define you?

Joseph had endured heart and spirit-breaking circumstances. His role had changed—he had sat in many seats—during his lifetime (and he was only in his thirties when this part of his story took place!), yet his identity hadn’t changed. He had sat in the favored-son seat, the hated-brother seat, the slave seat, the wrongly accused seat, the problem-solver seat, and the second-in-command seat. Each was an integral part of fulfilling his destiny. He knew—and had known all along—exactly who he was. Labels limit. Identities liberate.

Every label creates a limit, but when we focus on who we are instead of what we do or how other people see us, we can still be ourselves—no matter where we are.

What labels have you let others or culture put on you?

There is much to be said about destiny—where we want to go, who we want to become, and what we want to do, but little to be said about identity—who we are and what we’re made of. Destiny is settled in identity, and both work to further the kingdom. All those years apart, God was working on and through Joseph as well as his brothers and father. Each of us also must search our hearts during our lives to answer questions about our identity, heritage, purpose, and potential. And like Joseph, we only fulfill our purpose and manifest our destiny when we participate in the transformational life and well-being of our communities. How well are you doing that?