Articles
A Christ-Centered Identity
Why do you think humans struggle with the question: “Who am I?” And what does the question even mean? If I am filling out a standard form, for example, I may enter information like:
Name: James Jonas / Age: 57 / Birthplace: New London, CT / Marital Status: Married / Race: Caucasian / Occupation: Preacher
There are many other “facts” that describe me, but do these really answer the question of who I am as a person? We usually question our own identity in terms of:
Purpose: Does my life have a deeper meaning than biological existence?
Values: What guiding principles do I live by?
Why are these basic elements important? Why are they elusive?
First, we live in a world that offers vastly different answers to these questions. We interact with people whose worldview contradicts ours. Perhaps we wonder: “Am I on the right track? Do others perceive something that I am missing? Why do so many people see the world so differently than I do?”
Second, we can doubt ourselves through self-contradiction. That is, we may hold certain values to be important, yet we violate them in moments of weakness. This makes us question our true convictions.
Third, outside influences like disease can alter our self-image. A cancer patient recently said, “I refuse to let cancer define who I am.” Losing body parts and features due to treatments, the inability to care for oneself, being treated impersonally by caregivers, etc. tend to deeply affect our sense of identity and worth.
We are not static creatures. We age; we learn; we change. We observe life from different vantage points. This “fluid” aspect of our existence makes us yearn for stability and self-definition that is truly meaningful. But then again, what does “meaningful” mean?
And this leads us to our annual theme for 2016 and our first-quarter emphasis: Make Our Lives Christ-Centered: A Christ-Centered Identity.
The New Testament directs us to develop and maintain the closest possible relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus was the embodiment of deity and as such became the quintessential man, the model of how we should define ourselves and live in this world. With purely human role models there are always impurities that corrupt the ideal, but Christ perfectly displays:
Ideal purpose: “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (Jn 5:30).
Ideal values: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’ … and … ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:37, 39-40).
Jesus’ own identity reflected the character and will of His heavenly Father. Jesus did not act selfishly; He did not put His own interests above others. He willingly forfeited worldly ambition and sacrificed Himself for the sake of God’s beloved but lost creatures.
Does anyone doubt that Jesus knew exactly who He was? Do we see any hint of doubt as to how He should be living His life? Likewise, as we allow our own identity to be molded and shaped by Christ, we discover our true purpose and values. Our identity is secure and valid bringing a rock-solid stability that can withstand the storms of life (Mt 7:24-27).
