December 26
December 26
You are always assigning some kind of identity to yourself. Who do you think you are?
God designed human beings to think, interpret, and look for meaning and identity. Whether you are a theologian, philosopher, plumber, or chef, you assign yourself some kind of identity. Most people search for identity horizontally. We look for identity in marriage, putting a heavy burden on our spouses that they were not created to carry. Or we look for identity in our children, living through them and asking them to do things for us that they have no ability or desire to do. We look for our identity in a job or career, in our pile of material things, in the size of our bank account, or in our record of successes. None of these things will deliver the rest of heart, the lasting sense of self, or the meaning and purpose that we seek. So, we keep searching.
All of the big identity statements in Scripture root identity not in something you can do, but in something that has been done for you. When I root my identity in the eternal grace and love of God rather than in an ever-changing world, temporary situations, relationships, or achievements, I can live with peace and security of heart, no matter how my circumstances might change. I know that I am an object of divine love, that God will never abandon me, that he looks at me with affection and not with disgust, that he will never turn his back on me but will hold me in his arms eternally. This is how I find rest of heart.
When I think about identity, my mind goes to Revelation 1:4–6:
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
If you are God’s child, then you are blessed to be able to say that this doxology is your identity. You are not your relationships. You are not your possessions. You are not your achievements. You are not your money. You are the son or daughter of the God of glory and grace. Your father is the King of kings. You are a citizen of his kingdom, one of his priests. You have been freed from sin by the shed blood of his Son. The one who has showered you with such love reigns now and forever in glory and dominion.
When you get up in the morning, remind yourself that you are eternally loved, that your Father reigns in power and glory, that sin will never have the final victory over you, and that you have been welcomed into a kingdom that will never end. By grace, your search for identity has ended.