You can’t read a story nowadays without the word identity, or some variation of it, being included, if not it being the main thought in the piece. Most often the context of the subject has to do with the LGBTQ+ community. But, as I read these stories of people identifying as this and that and listen to the reactions to this from all sides of the issue, I was struck by how many who identify as Christian reacted.
The reactions were all over the place, but, sadly, many were quite harsh, hateful, and judgmental, all of which are decidedly un or non-Christian in nature. And, while there is much to discuss on the subject of LGBTQ+, I was more interested in the hypocrisy of the response from the Christian community, not that hypocrisy is a new thing to the Church, sadly.
How much of our lives are just as irrational, lacking in reality as those we judge? It’s easy to say, that a trans man is not really a man or a trans woman is not really a woman, but in a very real sense, and in most cases, are we not trying to take the speck out of their eye while looking past the log in our own?
What is our identity?
As a younger person, truth was, my identity as a Christian was not something I promoted above all else. I never denied my faith, but there were other aspects of my life that, I would have preferred people saw.
While I might say with pride that I never identified as a girl, I certainly spent a lot of time, in my own thoughts, identifying as something other than what lined up with reality. As a very young person, I fantasized about being Superman or Zorro or The Lone Ranger. As I got older those who I wanted to be like were many, from popular movie and music stars to different sporting figures. Long hair and casual dress of the day in the 60s and 70s. Then it was fast cars and motorcycles. All of these things were badges that I wore to say; THIS IS WHO I AM!
Of course, in specific contexts, I would profess my Christianity, and do so sincerely. But really, what I wanted was to be seen as something else, something that would gain notoriety or at least be something I could be proud of, something cool, something acceptable to, and impressive to the world around me. In my mind, I told myself, with some sincerity, that this was so that the world would see that you could be Christian and still be cool. In reality, my priority at that time was that the world would see that I was cool.
Ironically, it was when I entered into the world of Facebook that I was confronted with that question in a fresh, serious way. What is my identity? How will I use this platform? What will my identity be here? It took a couple years to sort that out, but I came to the determination that I would use this as a place to post things that were substantive, primarily dealing with the Christian worldview. That decision has produced numerous discussions with those who are, for the most part, hostile to the faith and it changed me forever.
One Google search produced 100 verses that speak to our identity in Christ. I didn’t read them all but the one that stuck out was Colossians 3:3. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”.
In the most literal way, Jesus’ life was hidden in the Father. John 12:49 “For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.” King James version says; “For I have not spoken of myself”.
That’s an incredible thing. As much as I’m aware of this, on a daily basis, I don’t even come close to my life being “hidden with Christ in God”, as Jesus was. Remember, He was without sin. This would mean His life, His identity, was ACTUALLY, 100% of the time hidden in God. Jesus said of Himself, in John 12:45; “And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.” When I think of the implications of this, when I think of how much effort it takes for me to be whatever percentage I am “hidden with Christ in God”, what Jesus did was astounding!
As our society continues to change, as secular thought is more and more the default mindset, it is comparatively of equal importance regarding the Great Commission, to which all of us as Biblical Christians are called, that we strive to be more and more identified with Christ in God, that we might be as accurate a representative of the Kingdom of God as possible.
I ask myself this question often. When people (who know me to some degree) “see me coming”, what is their first thought? Do they think of the last political discussion we had? Do they identify me with a particular political party? Do they remember the movie we discussed or the sporting event or my job or my family? None of these subjects are sin, in and of themselves. But, if the preponderance of the communications I have with people, see these subjects to be the greatest identifier of who I am, I should take pause and ask myself, why is this? Is this what I want?
Let me clarify something regarding identity, in the context of communication with people we meet. As we see in Jesus’ life, it was a mindset. It was a matter of the heart. To be as Jesus was, is not a legalistic thing. It is not something that we keep count of. Did I bring up the subject of God or spiritual things with each person I met today? Rather, it’s a matter of desire, awareness, preparedness, coupled with discernment. Not every discussion will be one of substance. What we need to ask ourselves is, at any given moment, without being caught off guard, can we “give a defense to everyone who asks, regarding the hope that’s in us”. I Peter 3:15 (a verse I reference in many of the pieces I write) has the best advice if we are to have our identity hidden with Christ in God, when it comes to communicating with those around us. It says; “always be ready”. “ALWAYS be ready”.
To identify with Christ as He identifies with the Father, it is necessary to be always mindful of Him and His ways. To pray without ceasing. To have more discussions with God, in prayer, than we have with anyone else. To more and more die, that He might live through us.
C.S. Lewis said that true humility is “not thinking less of ourselves, rather thinking of ourselves less”. This is a good place to start in our quest to be like Christ as we see in Colossians 3:3.
To be continues…