What might keep me from finding my identity in the right things?
Luke 5:31-32Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
Romans 3:23Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 5:12When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 7:21-25I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 John 1:8-9If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Understanding our identity requires acknowledging the dark and ugly things about ourselves as well. We cannot be saved if we deny our need for a Savior. We cannot be healed if we deny our need for the Great Physician. Admitting our sin before God and choosing to follow Jesus is the only way to be freed from sin’s shadow—and to embrace our identity as God’s children.
Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Matthew 6:31-33“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God* above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 13:22“The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”
1 John 2:15-17Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Each of us has needs and desires. We get hungry. We get cold and need clothes and shelter. We long for sex. We need money to provide for many of our other needs and wants. We want to accomplish things about which we can be proud. These are normal human desires! However, if we allow such fears and longings to grow out of control, they can crowd out our love for God. Imagine your identity like a garden. A garden is nurtured and cared for so that specific plants will grow and others will be kept in check. Part of having a stable identity as God’s child is choosing which desires to allow to grow in the garden of our heart. We want our hearts to be fertile soil for God and his love—not crowded with the thorns and thistles of lust, greed, or pride.
Romans 8:15-17You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Philippians 4:11-13I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Hebrews 12:2-3We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
It’s easy to allow our circumstances to influence our identity. Success can bring pride, while struggles and suffering can bring doubt. A healthy, biblical identity is not grounded in changing circumstances, but on the One who never changes. We serve a God who endured many sufferings, griefs, and hardships for our sake. When we face similar trials, we can face them with a steady confidence—not because of our own strength, but because of the strength of the One we follow.
1 Samuel 16:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Proverbs 31:30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Jeremiah 9:23-24This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Luke 12:21“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Wealth, attractiveness, power, intelligence—all these things are limited and can be lost in an instant. Each is a fragile foundation to build our identity on. When we are given these qualities, we are often tempted to trust in them, even though they are not a solid foundation.
Proverbs 15:31If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.
Mark 15:15So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
Galatians 1:10Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Philippians 2:3-5Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Humility is a crucial piece of a healthy identity. It is not the same as low self-esteem. Low self-esteem leads to despair, and it leaves us desperate for the approval of others. It has the same root as pride—that is, selfishness. In contrast, humility is selfless. When we are humble, we don’t worry about appearances, and we easily accept constructive criticism. Still, humility does not make us pushovers. Those who are truly humble can be motivated by love for God and others, not a fear of public opinion. If Pontius Pilate had been humble, perhaps he would have stood for what was right instead of caving in to the pressure of the crowd.
