Know who you are

I’ve been listening to the Michael Hyatt podcast for a little over a year now. There’s always great content on there and I encourage you to check out his podcast, blog and books on his website (this is not a paid promotion, just something I enjoy). I’m a little behind on the podcast, but just listened to his episode from last month titled “Advice to New CEOs” and I was reminded so much of some of the problems we find in all of life. Michael touches on seven pieces of advice, but I loved the first so much I wanted to share it. As a pastor, ministry leader, father, mother, parent, friend, and any potential job under the sun, there’s many identities we attach to ourselves. Even when we first meet someone one of the first questions we ask is, “what do you do?” It’s instinctive. But he made an excellent point that many of us have heard, but I find refreshing every single time I hear it:

You need to separate your role from your identity.

So often we judge our self-worth by our activities and status symbols (our titles, our income, our possessions, etc). It’s a simple idea that often requires meditation and seeking to come to the end of it, but I encourage you to do so. Remind yourself of everything you find worth it, and give it back to God. Take yourself through what makes you feel worthy of love, affection, admiration, respect, etc, and surrender those things to Jesus knowing that He is the one Who made you and has defined you and has given you your worth when He not only sustained you, but bought you back into His family by His death and resurrection on the cross. Only in Jesus will we find an identity that is free from one day crumbling and falling apart. So let’s proactively seek Him on this issue and not let our job, kids, ministry, or anything else define who we are.