Finding My True Identity

Nancy Kennedy is a writer for our local Citrus County Chronicle. She not only covers local news but writes a weekly column for the Religious section called “Grace Notes.”

Last week Nancy wrote about covering local graduations and shared some of the graduates’ wisdom from their speeches which she suggested “seemed different from years past.” In fact, she opined that “this generation seems to have a depth and wisdom that I never had when I graduated from high school in 1973.

Among the excerpts this one caught my eye from a student at Seven Rivers Christian School.

“Do not let your past define who you are meant to be. Find your joy in the Lord and his plan for you. Just because there are things you wish you could have changed, look to the future and learn from the past. Whether it be school, sports or any other passion, do not let that become your identity. If you place your identity in the things you are passionate about, it will simply become your biggest stressor.”

While this may not be too surprising coming from a student at a “faith-based school,” it certainly does demonstrate a level of maturity many adults lack. Sadly, even some who profess the name of Christ.

This excerpt reminded me of Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi who he identified as “the saints in Christ Jesus.” The letter has a distinctly Christocentric focus with Jesus being mentioned over 40 times in just 4 short chapters.

One of the key verses is Paul’s pronouncement “For me to live is Christ.” His life was changed by Christ from being a doubter to a Believer. From being a persecutor to a preacher. From an antagonist to an apostle. In one of his earliest epistles he confessed, “By the grace of God, I am what I am (1Cor. 15:10).

Paul’s mission, ministry and message was centered in Jesus Christ. Indeed he found his identity in the Lord. His sense of purpose, his values, his goals, and even his very life itself was rooted in his relationship with Jesus. This is remarkable because Paul could have focused on his credentials–his educational achievements, his pedigree in his Judaism, or his Roman citizenship. Yet, whether in life or in death he sought to magnify Christ.

It’s easy to allow external features to define us. Many are defined by their occupation. A doctor. A lawyer. A teacher. A truck driver. An engineer. Others are proud of their family name and their accessory traced back through generations. Some feel defined and proud of where they were born, raised, and reside. One’s advanced educational degrees and the universities where they attained them may be the source of some folks identity. Yet, all of this Paul called “rubbish” (Phil. 3:8).

Like Paul, we can develop a new and better identity through faith. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

I have a new identity because I have been adopted as God’s child into His family (Eph 1:5). I have been saved by God’s love, mercy, and grace, not my own merit. (Eph. 2:8-9). Thus, my self-worth is found in the Lord and it provides a unique view of success, failure, and what is really important. My hope and destiny is secured and grounded in Christ (Phil. 1:20; 1Pet. 1:3).

As the Seven Rivers student opined and as Paul penned, my past mistakes, regrets, even successes don’t define me. My joy is founded in “the faith” which is in Christ Jesus. And life’s stresses, worries, and problems can be minimized and controlled. This blessing is also Christ-centered as Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:7.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So, whatever challenges I face, whatever setbacks I encounter, and whatever the future holds, I can echo the apostle’s words, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”

My identity is in Christ Jesus.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman