Identity In Christ

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12 esv

We live in a world where our identity is often formed by what we do (our job, our hobbies, the role we play at work or at church, grades in school, etc.). We experience pressures to perform and can often think that how we perform determines our worth. When we can’t perform as we’d like—or as other people might expect us to—our view of ourselves can be shaken, leaving us to search for a way to reinvent or redefine ourselves.

When we face what appears to be a failure in the world’s eyes, or an unexpected diagnosis that reshapes how we see ourselves, we have to recognize the false thinking and replace it with the truths of Scripture.

We must recognize that if we’ve placed our trust in Jesus, we are God’s child—“fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and loved deeply by him. We can use a diagnosis to help describe what we are feeling—not define who we are. The label of the diagnosis reduces our complexity to commonness. And because scripture says we are each uniquely made, we are anything but common (Matthew 10:30; Genesis 1:27).

When our identity is rooted in Christ, we believe that what God says about us is truer than what anyone else says—including ourselves. So yes, find a qualified professional to provide an appropriate diagnosis, but remember it is only a description of your experience; it doesn’t define you.

Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity—an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: “You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.”

Henri Nouwen

The more we focus on who we are in Christ, the less it matters who we were in the past, or even what happened to us.

Joyce Meyer

You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Rick Warren

For Further Reflection

Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 139

Today’s Prayer

Lord, I pray that you will reveal any areas in my life in which I’m failing to find my identity in you. Teach me to hear what you say about me over the distractions and lies of the world. Amen.