When you think about your identity, what is it or what are some labels you use to identify yourself, and what is this identity linked to?

Since moving from Massachusetts to Washington and Washington to North Carolina, I’m learning so much about identity.

The word ‘identity’ holds a lot of power in today’s culture, and it’s always had a strong meaning.

i·den·ti·ty—noun:
the distinguishing character or personality of an individual

We each have our own identity, right? My identity isn’t the same as yours, and yours isn’t the same as the person next to you. That’s what makes our identities so unique and special.

But we’ve lost touch with how unique identities are supposed to be.

Why?

Because now, identity is found in your superficial appearance and social media status.

Now before I go on and explain this thought, I want you to stop and think about it—I’m going to ask you this question again: when you think about your identity, what is it linked to?

Maybe it’s linked to how many followers you have on Instagram, or how well you fit in among your peers, or maybe your athletic abilities.

But when we link our identity to these simple pleasures, we find ourselves wondering why we don’t feel like us.

For the girls reading this, I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not a dress girl. Give me a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and hightops and I’m happy. I don’t mind wearing dresses for a special event or maybe a cute hangout with friends, I’m not the girl who will casually wear a dress just because she can.

But a lot of my friends are dress or skirt girlies, and I found myself trying to find dresses or skirts that I would like because I wanted to be more feminine and fit in with the people around me. But because those dresses aren’t my style or my vibe, I felt fake wearing them and was simply uncomfortable.

In the end, by trying to make dresses and cutesie outfits a part of me and a part of the girl that people would know me as, I was forcing myself into a fake identity that wasn’t mine: a dress-loving girl.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying new things or improving yourself, but when we do it with the wrong intentions and for the wrong people, that’s when things get dangerous.

If you’re looking to impress people or make yourself more popular, then those are the wrong reasons.

If you’re looking to better yourself for the Lord and turn a new leaf, that’s the right reason.

If you’re looking to fit into the mold that a popular influencer has created, that is the wrong reason.

If you’re looking to be the clay for the Lord’s masterful hands, then that is the right reason.

We live in a world that challenges us to change because it will make us who we ‘want’ to be.

If the person we want to be is popular and liked by everyone, then that’s not biblical. We are not called to be liked by everyone—you can be a likable person, but not everyone is going to like you. Some people might even hate you, but that comes with the weight of the cross. (Matthew 16:24 and John 15:18-19)

When we start to place our identity in the things that are of the world—social media, appearance, relationships, career, education and grades, maybe even your car—we start to feel as if our identity is worthless.

That is exactly why a lot of celebrities, even after having millions of people fawning over them (or hating them) often become addicts, their relationships fail, and their career gets ruined—because their identity was placed in the hands of human standards.

Paul writes this to the church of Galatia:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NIV

Before a child is born, they are most frequently known as ‘the baby.’ But from the moment they are born, they are their own person with their own identity, characteristics, and personality.

Before we are born again in Christ, we are known as simply, “Willow,” or “James,” or “Grace.” But after we are born again in Christ, we find a new identity: “Willow, child of God,” or “James, son of the King,” or “Grace, daughter of God.”

That becomes our new identity.

When we find our identity in Christ, we then begin to live by faith and walk by faith.

It’s when we learn that true identity is found in Christ that we can truly be free.

When we ask ourselves, “Who am I?” it’s less about who I simply am and more about who am I made to be?

And at this point in the post, you might be wondering: we’ve heard about what not to put your identity in and what happens when you do put your identity in worldly standards. But how do we put our identity in Christ?

It starts with having a a desire. A desire to get to know the Lord and to dive into His word and to have a relationship with Him.

One thing that’s so important to know about having a relationship with the Lord is recognizing that He is not simply your first resource to vent to. You are also there to listen and to implement when He says into your life.

This might mean listening to what He says about your relationship with Him, or maybe your relationships with others, or your career, finances, faith life, family life, romantic life—every aspect in your life.

When you listen to the Lord, you will hear Him whisper, “You are My child.”

And that is where your identity is found in Christ. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we watch Him choose us.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39 NIV

He prays that the cup be taken from Him—for another option. But He doesn’t refuse, He still yields to the Lord.

“But as You will, Lord.”

Jesus did not save Himself when He was on the cross (Luke 23:35-39) because that’s not what the prophecy foretold, so He wouldn’t be fulfilling the prophecies, and it wouldn’t have been in the Lord’s plan (or cup) for Jesus.

Your identity is found in the sacrifice that Jesus made and the blood that Jesus spilled because it was spilled for you.

When we take note of that and implement it into our lives—learning from Scripture, learning from the way Jesus walked on earth, and learning from the teachings He taught—we are living by faith and walking by faith, in the confidence that we are saved by His blood and His blood alone.

Your identity is not in your appearance, your social media followers, your friends and family, your career, education, or anything else that can be superficial or earthly.

Instead, your identity is in Christ and this identity should change the way you live when it comes to your appearance, social media, relationships, career and education, and everything else.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post!
~Willow