Before the pandemic, my wife, Carla, and I traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to visit some of our dearest friends for the weekend. A trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant is always part of our time together. As we enjoyed chips and queso, we also enjoyed catching up on each other’s lives. Shannon shared about her women’s small group and a book they were reading. Then she posed a question to us that was posed in her group: What in your life, if taken away, would altar your identity?
Mothers, ask yourself this question: “If your children were taken away, would you be stripped of your identity?” Men, is your identity wrapped up in what you do for a living? If your career was taken away, would your identity be lost? Singles, if you broke up with your boyfriend or girlfriend tomorrow, would you be so crushed that you would lose your identity?
I like what Mark Driscoll says in his new book, Who Do You Think You Are?: “This world’s fundamental problem is that we don’t understand who truly we are – children of God made in his image – and instead we define ourselves by any number of things other than Jesus.”
Colossians 1:27, 28 says that Christ is in us and we are in Christ. This means that. . .
When you came to Christ, your identity totally changed. You are now “in Christ.” The absolute best place to begin constructing an identity is Jesus Christ. We live from our identity not for our identity. Because you are “in Christ” everything changes.
I want to encourage you to live out of your new identity. Make a list of your new identity and renew your thoughts everyday about who you are in Christ.
I have started my list:
In Christ, I am loved by God.
In Christ, I am completely forgiven.
In Christ, I have the life of Jesus.
In Christ, I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.
In Christ, I have died to the power of sin.
In Christ, I have been made complete.
In Christ, I am delivered from darkness and transformed in light.
In Christ, I am raised up with Jesus and seated in heaven.
In Christ, I am sealed with the Holy Spirit.
In Christ, I have the mind of Christ.
In Christ, I am adopted into God’s family.
In Christ, I am made alive.
In Christ, I know and can live by his resurrection power.
Additional Resources
The Blueprint for Life curriculum is designed to help you discover God’s calling for your life. It helps you answer questions like: What On Earth Am I Here For? What Are My Spiritual Gifts? What is God’s will for my life? The Bible study contains ten audio messages featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Now available for digital download. CLICK HERE to check it out!
