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You might not be able to handle this, so you might want to quit reading this NOW!
I have always struggled to find my identity in what I do more than who I am. I often don’t like who I am and what I do looks better than who I am. You want to know who I am? “But if I tell you who I am, you may not like who I am, and it is all that I have.”1 I don’t think I am the only person who fights this battle. It gets real tough when what I do struggles as well. We are programmed in church work to think bigger is better, growing equals blessing, people coming mean you are in God’s will and people leaving means you are inadequate. No sure how many times I have said, “I’m a failure!”, but I know I have felt it often. People will reinforce this feeling. Think about the statement, “by making a huge impact you can convince the world of God’s legitimacy as well as your own”.
God does not need us to convince anyone He is legit. Creation alone can do that. (Ref. Romans 1: 20)
The only reason we need to convince the world that we are legit is because we do not feel legit in our identity we have in Christ. Christ is not enough for most of us. We need worldly endorsement or could I be so bold to say we need our flesh fed. The words of affirmation, pats on the back and people making us feel needed and important usually make us feel better than knowing we belong to Christ.
Will it ever be enough to be important to God?
I’m reminded of one of my favorite verses in Colossians.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
(Colossians 3:12a, ESV)
As believers we are “chosen ones, holy and beloved”. Isn’t that enough? Will it ever be enough? Our identity has to be found in Christ because we will never measure up.
I’m a failure, but Christ covered that too!
1 Powell, John, Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?, Tabor Publishing, Allen, TX. p.20
