Lately, my heart and mind have been thinking on a few verses and song lyrics.
Specifically:
“I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom,
But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.”
As well as:
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31
And finally:
“Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
I don’t have much to communicate about this apart from the fact that the Lord has been impressing upon me that I must absolutely have a firm grasp and understanding on what defines and identifies me. It seems to me that I have two choices:
1. I can allow this world to define me. I can choose to be identified by a successful (or unsuccessful) career. I can choose to be defined by my relationships (good or bad). I can choose to be identified by living up to a moral or ethical code. Or I can choose to be defined by how I measure up to those around me.
2. I can allow Christ and His work on the Cross to be my identity.
Really, those are the only two options we have in this life. Neither option promises happiness, but option 2 provides so much more than happiness: it provides freedom.
So much of my mental energy is spent fretting over things because, if I am honest with myself, that is where I place my hope. At the core of my being, I believe that if this one job would work out, if this one person would approve of me, if this one plan would come into fruition, or if this one situation would take a turn for the better, if this one family member were healthy, if I could perform better in this area of life, that somehow things would all fall into place.
That’s just a lie. And living that way leaves us exhausted, disillusioned, and bitter. Or worse: numb.
But living out of our identity as a beloved child of God allows us to look at the world and our circumstances in a totally new way. Pressure’s off! Those things we fret and obsess over may affect our circumstances, but they cannot touch the core of our being, what defines us, or what we place our hope in. This does not mean we will always be “happy” – but it does provide us with the only sense of security, belonging, and worthiness that is lasting. I hope you are as encouraged by this as I am.
