I Need Your Identification, Please
When asked to identify yourself, there's so many things to list. Name, age, weight, gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, occupation, political party, marital status the list goes on and on of all the examples of what we are constantly being asked to identify with. It’s the world’s way of saying “Who are you?”. But if you ask me that’s a pretty loaded question. I’ve yet to meet one person whose identity can fully be described by their gender or occupation or religion. People are complicated constructs with webs of history, baggage, personality that makes them, us, who we are as individuals.
So why are we constantly being asked to choose to identify ourselves with one singular mold?
It feels as though you can’t turn on any form of media these days with out something asking you to choose sides. Facebook is a sea of political post and opinions about everything you could ever imagine and never thought you would. All laced with the underlying message of “if you don’t identify with this then you must be wrong”. Who would have ever guessed that the little like icon would become the modern day bully.
The world is having an identity crisis!
The idea of identity has become tainted and corrupted and its effects are huge, to the point where you can even choose to identify as nothing at all. But there in lies the danger. Because as humans we were created to have identity and for that identity to be rooted in God our creator, and when we don’t identify with anything we exposed to everything, and that’s exactly where the enemy wants us.
But lucky for us the bible talks about identity 160 times!
Its as though God knew we’d need to have a reminder over and over and over again to get us through this crazy thing called life. And in each one of those 160 verses there’s a common narrative, who we are and who’s we are.
"But to all who have received him--those who believe in his name--he has given the right to become God's children." John 1:12.
We are children of God, sons and daughters, of the greatest King. Therefore, step one is to walk in that understanding. Walk in the know that as a child of a King you too are royalty. You should treat your life as such. Precious you are and important in the eyes of God. You have a responsibility and purpose to fulfill and to your fellow man.
Related Post: Discovering Who You Are Begins with Telling Yourself the TruthFor the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
We are forgiven, redeemed and restored in Christ Jesus. He has given us new life to live and a confidence to walk in freedom. We are no longer slaves and therefore should walk with the joy that comes from that liberty.
"For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them." (Ephesians 2:10).
We are carefully crafted by an artist. No two are the same, no mistakes were made, each of us comes with individual talents and gifts. These things we have to offer to the world and we have a responsibility to do so.
And the list goes on of truths that the bible tells us.
Therefore, in terms of identity let this be our anthem ringing truth, we belong to God, his sons and daughters. So next time the world tries to place us in a mold. Tries to tell us who we are, let that be the place we identify with first.