Better Together: Connecting With God And Each OtherSample

Who Are You Really?

"Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion." -Brennan Manning

How do you identify yourself when someone asks who you are? Do you pull out a list of titles? Do you start describing the work you do or the people you are responsible for?

More importantly, how do you identify yourself deep in your soul?
Most importantly, how do you really believe that God identifies you?

It is easy to place our identity in the work we do, especially in the world of ministry. The truth is all of us who profess to follow Jesus are full-time ministers of the Gospel. Yet, even that is not our true identity.

When we miss who we are in God’s eyes, we churn up all kinds of trouble. We become people who care more about how we look, what people think of us, who we know, what we do. It can lead to fear, doubt, lack of compassion, loss of joy, confusion, hopelessness.

Most frightening is that when we lose sight of our true identity, we stop depending on the One who knows us best and loves us most.

We become dependent on our skills, possessions, and the people we know. Titles and success become who we are. Even the good work of ministry is tainted when we find our identity in what we do instead of in who we are to God.

So who are we really?

Reflections:

• Think about all the titles you carry (spouse, parent, sibling…) which title means the most to you? Why? Now consider yourself as one beloved by God. How does identifying yourself in that way change how you depend on Jesus?
• Consider Philippians 3:8 again. Do you count every good gift in your life as loss compared to knowing Jesus? Talk to him about it.