Written By: Adam Dickson
Who are you? I mean seriously…deep down, who are you? We live in a world where it seems there is a label for everything. We perhaps live in a world where everyone, on some level, struggles with their identity. Others will often try and tell you who you are or who you are supposed to be. And we conform to them. In essence, the world tries to steal your identity. The reality is, your identity has already been decided. You don’t have to question it because God already tells you who you are. When is the last time you looked to the giver of your identity when you questioned who you are?
Many people have asked what I am going to do when I retire from the Navy. “Is it going to be hard not being a Senior Chief in the Navy?” they ask. This is a very simple answer for me. While I am certainly going to miss every individual I have worked with over the years in the Navy, the many different duties I was assigned and fulfilled, the Navy is not who I am. A Senior Chief is not who I am. This career, your career, your status does not have to be your identity.
Now, I am not saying your job does not matter. I encourage all of you to utilize your positions at work to glorify God. Every job is a mission field, but if that job ceases to exist, your identity and purpose do not stop!
So who does God say we are? The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that we are new creations. This means all the things of our past we can cast aside. The new has come and the old is gone. It goes on to tell us in Revelations 2:17, that we will be given new names. This is further proof that our identity here on Earth pales in comparison to God’s truths about us.
Names matter. In a world where we buy our favorite player’s jerseys, know celebrities’ first and last names, and love name brand logos, there is only one name that truly matters. 2 Corinthians 6:18 states that we are sons and daughters of Christ and that He is our Father! Jesus Christ is the name above all names! Not only should we know Him, but Scripture tells us He already knows us! John 10:14-15 says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” We are known by God. Not only does He know our name, but he knows everything about us right down to the hairs on our head. Who else knows you that well?
As a dad, I am so proud when I see my child wear a jersey that sports my last name on the back of it! I’m proud to give my children my last name and even more proud when I see them wanting to wear it themselves. Our last name is part of our earthly identity. When we put on a jersey of our favorite player, we are showing that we support them. Putting on a jersey with a different last name doesn’t change ours and shouldn’t change our character either. When it comes to Jesus, however, it’s a different story. When we put the name of Jesus Christ on our shoulders and claim it as our identity, it changes everything. When God sent Jesus, He intended for us to take on His example of living and character as our identity. Essentially, He wants us to wear His name. Our Almighty Father takes great joy in seeing us identify with the name of Christ because He loves us so much.
So what is your identity? Who are you or what are you identifying with? Keep exploring or begin to explore within Scripture who You were always intended to be. There is no name more powerful and crucial than Jesus.
Written By: Adam Dickson
