OUTCRY: God’s Heart For Your ChurchSample

Identity

Deep down we all hunger to know who we are. Not what we do or how others perceive us but who we are. We continually try to talk about our identity through our work. I am an architect or I am a pastor or a student. We may find our identity in our biological family. I am a mom or I am an only child. But those titles always come up short. Sometimes we are great at our job. Sometimes we are not. We have moments of great parenting, and moments of not-so-great parenting. 

In our core, however we know that these will never fulfill us. How we are doing in our job or our family is not who we are. What we or others around us think about us has no bearing on who we are.

There is a deep and profound difference between our identity and our actions, or our job, or our reputation. In Jesus, a divine exchange has left us with a new identity.

As followers of Jesus, we are called sons and daughters of God. We are redeemed and forgiven. We are adopted into a new Kingdom. We are loved by a God who created us and nothing can separate us from it. That is who we are. We may have an imperfect past. We may not always excel in work or family. We may rarely excel in these areas! But that has no bearing on your identity in Christ. 

As you read these passages, meditate on what they say about your identity. Who are you in Christ? And what identities are you taking on that are not from Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, I want to know your identity for me. Help me to let go of my performance-driven identity. Help me to let go of what others say about me, and focus on what you have to say about me. Amen.