If you know me, you know that I love sports. During the 2016 Olympics, my favorite athletes were the platform diving team of David Boudia and Steele Johnson. In every post-dive interview, they were very open about their faith and quick to glorify God through both successes and failures. Steele Johnson spoke extensively about finding his identity in Christ. It didn’t matter whether he was an Olympian or whether he won a gold medal – he was first and foremost a Child of God and that would be true no matter what happened on the diving platform. The whole concept of identity has been put on my heart recently, and I’ve been thinking a lot about Steele Johnson’s words.
For most of my life, I’ve been a student. First in grade school and high school, then in college, and finally in law school. In May 2020, I graduated law school (via Zoom) and finally lost that label. In February 2021, I was officially sworn in to the Tennessee bar and picked up my new label of attorney. For my entire educational journey, and now for my budding professional career, so much of my focus has been on those labels. Looking back, my obsession with those labels has shaped so many of my decisions, goals, and dreams.
When I was in college, I changed my major roughly ten times because I was bent on finding my purpose. I thought that meant I had to find the perfect career – whatever career I chose would give me a life of purpose and meaning. I still couldn’t find it, even as a law student, which you’ve probably seen me write about before if you’ve followed this blog since the early days. I mean, really, after all those years of school and I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. You’re probably thinking I finally found that purpose in my career as an attorney, now that I’ve graduated and am gainfully employed. Those of you thinking that would be…. WRONG. Some days I still feel as lost as I ever did, and I think that’s probably true for a lot of us in our jobs, whether we’re new or we’ve been doing it for too many years to count. I have, however, finally gained some insight on the concept of purpose, and it is very much connected to my labels and my identity.
See, for all those years I was attaching my identity to my label as a student and then to my label as whatever career I chose. Here, that’s my label as an attorney. When I was looking so hard for my purpose, I didn’t want to disappoint God. I wanted to do what he wanted me to do. I just had no clue what that was. Maybe I still don’t. Here’s the thing, though. Our identity is not found in the labels we put on ourselves – not in our status as a student, doctor, waitress, teacher, mother, sister, friend, or even an Enneagram number. Our identity is found in being a Child of God. Regardless of what those other labels say, even when they are uncertain or changing, as so much of our world is today, we will always be a Child of God when we have made a decision in our hearts to accept Jesus and follow Him. That is where our identity and purpose is found. When we realize what our identity is, and who we are rooted in, we can see that our purpose, no matter what our station in life, our chosen profession, hobbies, talents, or gifts, is to use where we are and what we are doing to glorify God. Our purpose is to win lost souls to His kingdom and encourage and uplift our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Our purpose is to grow in His grace and in our faith and trust in Him to lead us where we could not lead ourselves.
How is it that you identify yourself? Would Child of God be first on your list? If it is, would there be lots of other “identities” too? Have you, like me, been seeking your identity and purpose in the wrong place? Please be honest with yourself when you answer that question.
While all of those labels we give ourselves have meaning and shape our day-to-day life, our true identity – who we are and why we are here – is found only in Christ and His redeeming love. He calls us His chosen and His beloved. Jesus was willing to make an unimaginable sacrifice to ransom us from our sin! We are rooted in Him, even when it is hard, even when we feel unworthy, and even when we don’t fully understand what our identity means. Let us never confuse our worldly labels with our heavenly identity and purpose for God’s kingdom and glory. Christ is the only name you need on your identification card.
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:27-28
all my love, ki
This is beautifully written and thought provoking. Thank you 🙏