Writing WorshipSample

Understanding Your Identity

I had a “God moment” in the middle of the night. I was still processing the meaning of identity from my writing the previous day. I asked God to give me more revelation and heard Him whisper through the dark, “Identity is the definition of the heart.” I sat straight up in bed.

You can’t get more vulnerable than your heart. That’s why identity is such a sensitive subject: it’s the explanation of who we are at our deepest part. And while we are given identity as well as purpose by the hand of God, sometimes our choices, the influence of others, circumstances, or the enemy can confuse or cloud it. This reality is part of living here on this earth. The struggle is real. 

So how do we remember who we are? The One who hardwired us has all the answers, and He is just fine with reminding us. Knowing who we are matters because it is the foundation under every aspect of life, including our songwriting. It’s the very place we live from.

What surprised me about researching identity in the Bible was that in many references, it clearly comes in two parts.

From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. (Colossians 3:11)

You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. (1 Corinthians 12:27 )

But it’s obvious now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts. (1 Corinthians 12:30-31)

Did you see the two parts of our identity?

1. Who we are to Him
2. Who we are to the body of Christ

So yes, our personal identity comes from God. But we also need to have a part to play in His family. This is the other half of our identity. You could be completely confident in who you are alone in Christ but still not be completely “you” until you are also operating as the part of the body He made you to be.

So how does this relate to songwriting? I believe our identities as individuals will be similar to our identities as writers. For example, truth is a big part of who I am, so it makes sense that this concept would be a big part of my calling as a songwriter. When I create, many times I leave fingerprints of truth. You will leave fingerprints of your identity too. Also, you should have a part to play in the cowriting room, which is our musical expression of community. We should not all play the same part. If you bring your strength and others bring theirs, how much more amazing will our songs be than had we worked alone?

Prayer

God, don’t let anything cloud my identity. Remind me who I am when I forget. Stop me when I feel the need to compete for what I see as a more important gift. Let me be comfortable in my own skin, both in and out of the writing room and at peace in You.