Who are you?
What is your identity?
Are you defined by your job? By your social status? By your role in your family (mother, father, brother, child)?
Think about it for a minute. What, in your mind, defines you? How would you define yourself to someone who asks you who you are?
If I asked you to tell me about yourself, what would you say?
Get a piece of paper and make a list of words and phrases that describe who you are.
Now, take some time to think about this.
Who do you want to be?
How do you want to be defined?
What is your ultimate description of yourself?
Don’t worry about what you would currently say, but think about what you would ultimately like to be able to say when someone asks you to describe yourself.
Think about it for a minute and write down another list.
Now, here’s the most important part of this exercise:
Who are you in God’s eyes?
How do you think God defines you?
How do you want God to define you?
What is your identity in Christ Jesus?
Again, write these down, in whatever order they come to you.
Now, if you made a list of all the different words or phrases you used to define yourself up to this point, how would you rank them - from most important to least important?
If you could redefine everything you said about yourself before into the perspective of your relationship with God, how would you describe yourself?
How would you like to describe yourself?
What one description of yourself - from all of the above descriptions - would you put first?
What would be second?
What would be last?
What would you not even use any more?
Now, here’s a critical piece of advice to put this whole exercise into its proper perspective.
Put all of your God-cenetered descriptions of your identity first. And focus first, and foremost, on walking out those aspects of your life and character. Everything else that you are, and do, should flow from your identity in Christ. Be true to God first and every other part of your life, and everyone else in your life, will reap the benefits.
If you focus on and define yourself by the things of this world first you are building your house on the sand. Build your house on the Rock!
If you want to be a good husband, focus first on being a faithful Bride of Christ. If you want to be a good father, focus first on being a trusting child of God. If you want to be good at your job, focus first on being an obedient servant of the Most High God.
Whatever you are, or want to be, focus first on your relationship with God and let every other aspect of your life be a fruit of your identity in Christ.
Here’s my list, in case you were curious.
- God created me in His image.
- Jesus died to save me from sin and death.
- Holy Spirit dwells within me to help and guide me.
- I belong to God - purchased at a great price by the blood of Jesus Christ.
- I am a child of God.
- I am a servant of the King of Kings.
- I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
- I am a gifted member of the Church.
- I am a loving and faithful husband.
- I am a loving and honorable father.
- I am a loyal and trustworthy friend and neighbor.
- I am a skilled and diligent worker.
- I enjoy being outdoors.
- I enjoy playing all kinds of music instruments.
- I enjoy reading and writing.