Understanding Our True Identity: More Than What We Do
Insights from The Weekly REBOOT
By: Bryan Flanery
One of the most discussed topics we encounter in REBOOT is identity. In all of our curriculums, identity has a whole week dedicated to it. Understanding that our identity can be impacted by trauma is crucial. But identity isn't just shaped by trauma — it’s influenced by the various voices and experiences we encounter throughout our lives.
When we think about our identity, it’s often easy to say, "My identity is in Christ." Scripture reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This verse clearly tells us that we are not defined by our past mistakes or hang-ups but are made anew in Him because of what He did for us on the cross.
Yet, identifying who we truly are remains complex. Imagine walking into a room and asking someone, "Without telling me your job or what you do, who are you?" That’s a tough question. We typically respond with roles and titles: "I'm a father, a husband, a program director." However, these are all things that we do, not who we are fundamentally.
Throughout Scripture, we learn that our primary identity is that He is in us. We are not just the sum of our actions, past, or present. That verse from 2 Corinthians reassures us that if anyone is in Christ, there are a new creation. This means that we don’t define our own identity; it’s defined through Christ’s love and sacrifice.
Countless verses throughout the Bible emphasize who we are in Him. For instance, even before we were born, God knew the number of hairs on our heads. We were created in the perfect image of God. These messages from both the Old and New Testaments affirm our identity in Him.
Consider the well-known verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” This fundamental truth highlights that our identity is rooted in love. However, for many of us, love isn’t the default reaction — anger, bitterness, or withdrawal often come first. But knowing that our identity is founded on love, as demonstrated by Jesus, should transform how we see ourselves.
To help internalize this, I encourage you to take a moment and write down “I AM” statements. Begin with declarations like, "I am a child of God," or "I am perfectly created." This exercise might be more challenging than expected, as it’s easier to recall our faults and failures than to affirm our true identity in Christ.
Memorize your “I AM” statements. Life won’t always be easy — Jesus warned us of trials and tribulations. But by understanding who we are in Him and keeping these affirmations close, we can withstand adversities. Instead of succumbing to negative self-images, we remind ourselves that we are children of God and perfectly made in His image.
For me, realizing that my own self-definition didn’t align with how God saw me was life-changing. In those challenging moments when the world tries to define us, we can confidently remind ourselves of our true identity in Him.
