February 2022
By: Sam McManus
You can put you identity in anything.
I’ve spent a lot of time picking out the right outfits to make sure people perceive me a certain way.
And it wasn’t just others’ thoughts that I cared about; I also wanted to convince myself that I was the somebody who I wanted to be. I’ve tried to wear the right clothes to win over the approval of others and to help convince myself that I have value and worth.
Our identity can be placed in anything. So often we search for and anchor our identity to the ways of this world. We exhaust ourselves by seeking our worth and validation from the patterns of the world that aren’t capable of providng to us the acceptance that we truly need.
As Christians, you are given a new identity through Jesus. When we are in Christ, we no longer live in as sinful beings, but we can instead clothe ourselves with a new identity that was given to us through Christ. When you abide in him, you can operate from the work he has done for you on the cross instead of having to earn your own value, worth, or approval.
We want to protect our identity and constantly be aware of where we are deriving our value. Identity is important because it informs us of our responsibility, actions, thoughts, and values. Everything about us flows from our identity.
Ever day you will be tempted to anchor your identity in something temporary and worldly, and you must constantly remind yourself of what your true identity in Christ really is. When we remind ourselves of God’s truth and his view of us, we are realigned to the extravagant love the father truly has for his children.
Make it a habit to reinforce the truth about yourself consistently by turning more often to God’s word rather than the temptations of the world.