New Year, New HopeSample

Identity

Gathering your self-worth externally is kind of like trying to fill up a lake with a Dixie cup. It’s just never enough. That’s why it’s so addictive. — Pete Wilson, in his book Empty Promises

Usually when someone wants to get to know a person they’ve just met, they ask these three questions:

1. What’s your name?
2. What do you do?
3. Where are you from?

And although there is nothing wrong with asking these things, I believe our identities as Christians are to be built on a lot more than what can be answered in three shallow questions.

If we were to truly evaluate our lives, we’d all be surprised as to where we seek most of our identity. All you have to do is look to see where your time goes. I’m not saying we do it on purpose, but many of us might be astonished to realize we’re seeking our worth in the world around us and not in the Savior who wants to breathe life into our hearts.

At the end of the day, the world can never offer anything remotely close to the worth and purpose of Jesus Christ. 

You can’t find worth in a world built on worthless values—it’s simply impossible. What people say has no power against what God already knows. Our worth is found in God, and our identity is found in His love. The moment you really “get” this is one of the most liberating moments of your life. You don’t have to keep fighting an uphill battle with the world that you’ll never win. You can finally rest because your identity is in Christ—not determined by anything you do on your own.

You are uniquely made, destined for greatness, and have been set apart from the beginning of time (Jer 1:5). While the world around you tries to fit you into the box of conformity, remember that God is yearning for you to break that mold and be the change (Rom 12:2).

Your true identity is found in Him who created you, not in the world that tries to manipulate you.

Challenge:

Spend time thinking about this question: Have you ever sought identity in something other than Jesus?