The Identity

Who am I?

Possibly a short one today. I've been stuck on the idea of identity. I mentioned it before in writing and Bible studies. The more I explore the concept, the more importance I see.

We are given an identity through our name. We are given an identity through the comments of others, good or bad. We give ourselves identities by how we view ourselves. Our jobs, families, and friends become part of our identity. It is a big deal. It shapes who we become.

It does not take much examination to see how much those identities impact our actions. We pursue a sport, music, art, or a vocation based on being identified with a talent we display. We shy away from things that we are identified as being "bad at." Our habits can be shaped by how we identify ourselves. The impact is undeniable.

I have struggled in the past with the negative identities I've heard from others and from those I've taken on myself. "I'm not good at sports," "I'm not a morning person," "I'm worthless," and many more identities I embraced were a huge part of how I interacted with the world. I believe we are all prone to adopt negative images of ourselves that weave their way into how we identify ourselves. Those names we were called as kids or slights to some aspect of ourselves that we heard from others are just words until we begin to accept them. It is difficult not to adopt the identities we hear. We can cripple ourselves with those identities whether they come from others or are simply the way we see ourselves.

As Christians, we need to understand a very important point. We were given a new identity. We are joint heirs with Jesus. We are beloved. We are friends of Christ. We are saints. We are meant to be salt and light. We are blessed. I challenge you to dive into the study of how we are identified as followers of Jesus Christ. It just may change how you see yourself!