4 THINGS THAT DON'T DEFINE US
The Bible has a lot to say about who we are in Christ. In Christ, you have been loved, redeemed, adopted, freed, and made complete.
But as long as we live in this world full of competing messages, we can easily exchange our true identity for a lie.
Here’s a reminder of four things that don’t define your identity:
Your past
You may still endure consequences from your past, but in Christ it no longer defines you. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he reminded them of their previous lives defined by sin, but then he interjected, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11) The same is true for you. Regardless of you what you have done, your identity is new in Christ.
Your stuff
Whether it’s your car, your house, or the number of zeros in your bank account that you worry about, none of these things define who you are. Jesus proposed the question we must ask ourselves if we’re grasping for the identity that our stuff can provide, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:25)
Later in Luke’s gospel Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) If we have much or we have little, we must remember that our identity resides in Christ, not in temporary possessions.
Your kids
Your identity as a parent does not overshadow who you are in Christ. Your child’s behavior—good or bad—does not define who you are. As much as you love and care for your kids, they are first and foremost children of God whom you can trust God with, wherever he may lead them. Trusting that your identity is secure outside of your kids’ performances will also enable you to love them and encourage them without a motive for trying to establish your identity.
Your job
That title or corner office that you have or aspire to is not going to meet that deep desire for significance that God gave you. More than that, what happens if you did gain and then lose those things? A job position, which is temporary, cannot bear the weight of your personhood. God’s definition of who we are is the only eternally defining truth. Regardless of who your boss is or who you’re a boss to, your performance doesn’t define you because you’ve been saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Do you sense your identity is in any of these things? Own that misplacement today so that you can fully place your identity in Christ.