In my life, I’ve placed my identity in many things. What I see in the mirror. My pant size. The number on the scale. Even how many friends I have.
Of course, none of that satisfied me. Because it constantly changed, and then I would be forced to reevaluate.
And over and over again, I’ve been told to find my identity in Christ. But what does that actually mean? Yes, I know I’m a child of God. That He loves me. That Jesus died for me.
But what does that have to do with my identity?
I’ve done some thinking about this, and I think when it comes to finding our identity in Christ, it all comes down to remembering some important facts about what our relationship with Him means. And what He means to us. To do that, I think we need to start with a few basic truths.
1) We are His children.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:26
God invited us to join His family, and once you’re saved, you’re a member for life (John 10:28-29). That means no matter what you do, you will always be welcomed back into the fold, like the prodigal son.
2) We are a new creature.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
We don’t have to be defined by our past anymore. Instead of allowing all the weight of guilt and shame to drag us down, we can hand it over to God and start anew. He isn’t going to berate us over the past or condemn us (Romans 8:1). Once we’re forgiven, it’s done, and we can start fresh and try again.
3) We are His workmanship.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
Did you sing that song “He’s Still Working on Me” when you were young? I still sing it to my nieces, and I find it amazing that God is in fact still working on me. And when we realize that we’re a work-in-progress, I think it puts a lot of things into perspective. We can stop trying to be perfect all the time. Because the fact is, we’re going to mess up. But God never gives up on us when we do. He keeps working, and that will never change.
There’s a lot more that could be said about these truths, and maybe in the future I’ll go deeper. But for now, I think this is a start. I think this can help us look in the mirror and realize that who we are isn’t determined by our past or even our present. By our weight or height or even our social status. Who we are is determined by our relationship with God.
We are God’s children who He has given a fresh start and will never abandon.
And that’s an identity that will never change.
