Who Even Am I?

In a world that’s faster paced and busier than ever, we are constantly being asked to summarize who we are and what our lives are about.

Whether it’s a job interview, date, or Instagram bio, we are always having to condense our entire existence into a few short lines. The highlight reel of our lives. The things we think define us.

When someone asks you about yourself, what parts of your life are you choosing to advertise? – Do you pride yourself on your education, career achievements, or relationships? These are all wonderful things, but we come close to a dangerous trap when we start to find our identity in anything other than Christ.

“But whoever is united with the Lord is one in with Him in spirit.” -1 Corinthians 6:17

I continually finding myself hoping I sound interesting when people ask me about myself. What do I have that sets me apart and makes me different from the majority?

My identity in Christ.

One of my favorite songs by Kari Jobe sings, “The only thing I want in life is to be known for loving Christ.”

Wow. Talk about gaining perspective.

How much time do I waste making sure my identity is secure in the trivial things of this world? How much time have I spent worrying about things that will never matter in eternity?

God demands to be the only thing we find ourselves in. Not because He’s insecure or needs us in any way, but because He knows that we cannot serve two masters.

One semester of college I thought it would be a good idea to knock out most of my difficult classes all at once, hold a council position in my sorority, run a student business organization, AND have a job.

Guess what? It didn’t go very well.

When we put focus on too many areas of life, we can only spread ourselves and our attention so then. Details start to fall through the cracks and before we know it, we are doing ourselves and the people around us a disservice.

Our human nature limits our capabilities and God is very well aware of that. In the same way, we cannot find our true identity in God and the things of this world.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” –Matthew 6:24

God demands our entire hearts because He knows it will never be to our benefit to serve Him with a divided heart. We are called to be in the world, not of the world.

So, what does it even look like to find your identity in Christ?

We can never truly discover who we are until we understand who He is. Our identity is with Him and in Him.

Once you know who you are, then you know what’s available to you and what you are capable of with God.

What would you be doing if you knew that you could do anything and not fail? This is the confidence that the Holy Spirit gives us.

Our concept of and confidence in God is reflected in how we live our lives, the choices we make and the way we reflect that love to others.

^“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”-1 John 4:15-16

Our worth is not found in the admiration and affirmation of others; it’s found in Christ alone.

Your value does not come from the number of likes you get on social media or the number of invitations you have every weekend – It comes from a love so extravagant and priceless that your El Roi (Hebrew for The God Who Sees Me), was willing to die for you.

So stop looking to the world to give you what Christ is already freely offering.

His love and acceptance never stops. It’s an active love from a living God.

It’s never too late for us to change our mindset and open our arms to the new identity He wants to give us as daughters of the King.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:18-19

He’s doing a new thing in us. We just have to accept it.

Even when it feels like He left us, He is still working in ways we can’t see or understanding. He’s making streams in our wasteland.

Our human nature makes us instinctively want to tie our humanity to something (job, achievement, marriage). We will never be satisfied in ourselves. I want to be known for being tied to Christ and His perfect wisdom.

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ..” –Philippians 3:8

Who even am I in a world that tells me a million different things I need to be?

I am His and that’s enough for me.

Placing your identity in Christ does not take away from who you are – The trust we put in Him gives us the confidence we need to be the best version of ourselves.