Identity in Crisis: Discovering Your True Northਨਮੂਨਾ

If you've ever seen someone you love lose their job, go through a divorce, or face retirement, you've likely watched them experience an identity crisis. Those experiences can leave us reeling for an extended period.

If we've defined ourselves by what we do or our relationships, and those change, we no longer know who we are. The truth is: You are not what you do. Your marriage or your children do not define you. You are defined by what God did for you.

Today, I want to share three habits to help you own and live from your true identity in Christ.

1. Remember! We need to hear the Gospel every day.

The late Timothy Keller summarized Ephesians 2:8-9 beautifully. "The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope."

Imagine you are standing in the middle of a fast-flowing river. The current will sweep you away if you don't plant your feet firmly on the riverbed. In the same way, if you don't daily remember the Gospel and your identity in Christ, the current of the world's messages will carry you off.

As you move your feet from the bed to the ground each morning, what if you paused and reminded yourself of these truths? "I am loved. I am accepted. I am forgiven. I am a child of God. What He says about me is the truest thing about me."

2. Filter! The voices we listen to shape who we become.

Whose voice means the most to you? Is it possible you've given someone's voice the power only God should have? You can't turn off the world's voices, but you can turn up God's voice.

Filtering is vital in our always-online world. Anyone can comment on a post or picture, but they don't get to define who you are. As a pastor and author, anyone can like or dislike my content, but I will not give them a say regarding my value and worth. When the voices around you tell you you're not “enough”–not successful enough, not attractive enough, not spiritual enough–remember that what God says about you is the most important thing about you!

3. Express! What we do is an expression of who we are, not the source of who we are.

What you do is an expression of your identity, but it must not establish it. Your marriage cannot hold the weight of your ultimate identity; you'll crush your partner. Your children cannot hold it; you'll suffocate your kids. Your work cannot sustain it; you'll push yourself and those you lead to burnout.

My father, a pastor like me, often told our church, "You're either heading into a crisis, in the middle of one, or coming out of one - all the time." After decades of pastoring, he observed this pattern, and I've seen it too.

Navigating a crisis begins with knowing who you are. And who you are is summed up in those words God the Father spoke to Jesus: "You are my beloved child, and you bring me great joy." When your identity is in crisis, return to what God says about you - it is your most authentic identity.

As I wrote this plan, I prayed for you! Like Liviu Floria wandering through the desert, I prayed that you’d use your true identity - who God says you are - as a compass to guide you through whatever wilderness you face. If you’d like more help with this topic, I’d love to share a few of my favorite tools that I use to remind me who God says I am. Click here to get complimentary access to those tools today.