Identity

This past year I have been struggling with the concept of identity. As a person we all strive to be known and our identity is what defines us. Identity can take over and rule our lives if we let it become the focus of our existence.

Who am I? What is my identity? These are questions that enter into the minds of people seeking to find who there are and what they are doing here on this earth.

"who am i?" 

My name is Matthew Gerdin. Who am I? My identity has changed throughout my life: I took an identity of “new kid”, Military brat, Soccer player. These have all been a true reflection of who I am, yet all have a season to be true and be right. I won’t be the new kid for long – there will be another coming in to replace that identity, our family is no longer bound to the moves that the typical military brat is so used and accustomed to. Although soccer played a big part in my life – high school is over – my time is done competing competitively. Now as all of these abruptly come to an end, I found myself lost, starting new in the day to day college life. Who am I? What is my identity? 

"who am i?" 

I recently watched the movie Soul Surfer, the true story of Bethany Hamilton. She tragically lost her arm from a shark attack at the age of 13 leaving her unknown of her future with surfing. So many times we hear of people who lose everything from one accident. Leaving them with an identity jeopardized and lost. The time in between them is so scary. Bethany (portrayed from the movie) thought she could not do it; she was discouraged and sad that her surfing career may be over. She went to Thailand on a mission’s trip after the devastating tsunami with her youth group. She says in the movie, while teaching a Thai boy to surf, and to not fear the water anymore, “They say the Lord works in mysterious ways, I say that is an understatement. Who would have thought teaching a boy to surf would teach me that surfing isn’t the most important thing in the world; and that something else is … love, bigger than any tidal wave, more powerful than any fear.” Her reaction to her world being turned upside down was spot on.

We are here on this earth for more. We find pleasure in things and we call it our identity, we cling to it. But when we place these higher than God we may find our situation changed. In a blink of an eye the Lord can give and the Lord can take away (Job 1:21). Where we should be finding our identity is through the Lord Jesus Christ. When we do that, life as we know it ceases to be the same.

So who am I? What is my identity? I find my identity in Christ. You should too, think about it.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17