When it comes to your identity, that’s who you are. 

And how would you describe that in 25 Words or Less? 

Who are you? 

Now, there’s been different points in my life where I’ve struggled with that question. I’ve wrestled with that question. 

And I’ve discovered three common traps when it comes to identity:

Identity Trap #1: Performance-Based

The first one is performance-based. I want to say that we are human beings, not human doings, and who you are is more important than what you do. 

We live in a culture where there’s always striving and performing and there’s a lot of pressure. Here’s the danger with performance. If you perform well, some people, they’re gonna get full of themselves and if we don’t perform well, some people are so down on themselves. Ultimately, we don’t want to be in either situation: full of ourselves or down in ourselves. 

And that’s the risk of performance. It’s a roller coaster ride, and it can be brutal, and the results can be so destructive. 

Identity Trap #2: Materialism

Here’s the second trap: it’s the materialism trap. Our identity is linked to how much we own. The quality of our car, our bank account retirement, and the house that we own. And that is so shallow. Don’t fall into that trap. 

Identity Trap #3: Disappearance

And the third trap is kind of subtle. It’s tricky. It’s the last trap. 

We can put our identity into something that we can lose. That can be your health. That could be a friendship, that could be a title or a status that job is no longer there a week from now or a year from now. 

And that’s dangerous because if you put your identity in something you no longer have, then you’re going to be feeling empty. 

Those are three common traps. And again, I can relate. I know what that’s like. 

A Glimpse Of My Life 

In terms of identity. The low point in the most challenging point was after I was sick from playing professional soccer in Africa. Then there was a tragedy. I was fighting for my life for a year. I was on the brink of both dying physically, but also, I was on the brink mentally and just fighting for my sanity.

I had lost so much. I was struggling because I thought if I’m not a soccer player right now, if I don’t have a career if I don’t have health if I don’t have my friends around, who am I?

What do I still have left?

And I just didn’t know where to turn.

And again, going back to a theme here: a secure identity brings hope.

I was feeling hopeless. Who you are is more important than what you do. I believe that with all my heart.

Your identity is kind of like an anchor. When a boat is going to drop the anchor you get a choice where you’re going to land your identity and land your identity in something or someone that’s not going to change. It’s going to be constant, reliable, and faithful. For me, in my journey, I’ve shifted and put my identity in God.

Because I believe I’ll never lose that. It’s not materialistic and it’s not performance-based. I found my security. My hope for you is that you have a secure identity.

Re: Finding A Secure Identity In Jesus