| Who are you? This is a question that few know how to answer, especially in 2024. Some of the most common responses to this question look like this: “I work at __________…” “I enjoy __________ in my free time…” “I’m pretty good at __________.” “I really love __________, __________, and __________.” Do you notice something missing in our understanding of identity? Perhaps the biggest misunderstanding comes from the fact that identity is not meant to be self-defined. In other words, it’s not for us to describe our own identity through the lens of what we do. If we are honest, I believe that most of us probably don’t know how to talk about our identity apart from what we DO. The reality is that identity is much more about who we are than it is about what we do. A number of weeks ago, I shared a quote from Tim Keller that I believe is applicable in gaining a better understanding of what our identity is: “Your identity is received, not achieved.” We live in a culture that implicitly teaches us to perceive our value from our accomplishments, and that becomes our understanding of our identity. You can only internalize the message about becoming your best self and living your best life so many times before it secretly defines our self-worth, which then becomes our own understanding of identity. To get away from this modern (read: erroneous) view of identity, we must look to what God says about who we are: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) Through God’s word, we learn that identity really has nothing to do with our achievements, our talents, or our winsome personalities. In fact, it really has nothing to do at all with who we are. Our identity is solely about WHOSE we are, not WHO we are. As Christ-followers, the more we learn to follow Christ’s abiding presence in our lives and heart, the more we learn to replace our own identity with Christ’s identity. The best way to lean into your identity is to understand that it is our submission to God that fulfills our identity. My challenge to you today is to transform your knowledge about God into the action of obeying God in every area of your life. When you submit to God’s will for your life, the question of identity will take care of itself and you will learn to stop chasing achievements, and instead begin pursuing obedience. -Pastor Dusty |
