Molly Heygood

Identity. Honestly, what is it? One dictionary definition I found is “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual”. Identity is what marks you, what you are made of, and how you are identified. In the world we live in today, every other person is telling you what your identity needs to be. The world places standards on your identity, but what if we went back to the beginning and remembered each day what our true distinguishing factors are?

We are created by God. This is something that is thrown around all the time and honestly has somewhat lost its meaning, but literally think about that. The creator of the universe, the God that can move mountains at a simple command, heal the sick with a small prayer, give life to the lifeless, and conquer sin by defeating death, literally knit you by hand and chose every single thing about you (Psalm 139 – please read this, it is a gold mine of solid truths). The King of Kings gave you life. He loves you so much that not only did He choose you and craft you, but He did so in His own image (Genesis 1:27). God wants us to be like Him. You are not a mistake or a happenstance; you were chosen before all creation and have a calling and purpose through our creator.

Not only did God give you His identity, He gave you a special identity specific to you. God has equipped you with Himself and given you a unique list of assets. In my life, I know I have been equipped with joy, fortitude, and consistency. These things among others are what the Lord has equipped me with to glorify Him. Every single person has their own battery of assets. These are things that God has gifted our life so that we can better serve Him, so that we can take what He has given us and make that our identity to therefore glorify Him.

Every person is like a quilt: a stitching together of little pieces. Each of the strengths God has equipped you with is stitched together to form YOU. No one else can be a better you than you because no one else has that exact same artillery of qualities all stitched up. Each day we are called to wash ourselves with these qualities and make them our identity. For the last few months, I have written what I believe to be my identity on my mirror, so each morning that is what I clothe myself in. Think about it, every day you spend at least five minutes choosing what to wear and putting that on. What if that is how you saw your identity in Christ. Each day put on your identity in Christ as you would put on your clothes. God’s truth about us should be our foundational garment – what we put first in our minds and hearts.

Who am I? That question should not be answered as the girl who plays that sport, the girl in that sorority, the girl who dates that guy, the girl who looks like that, or anything else. YOUR IDENTITY IS WHAT THE LORD HAS GIFTED YOU. God has given Himself to you and through that each person gets to glorify Him in their own way. That is why community is so sweet, because when we come together as one we get to truly get to experience the fullness of God- every quality of God that can be seen on earth.

In Mark 14, Mary anoints Jesus. She approaches him with a flask of pure nard and pours it over the head of Jesus. This ointment was VERY expensive. This was likely all Mary had to her name and likely her dowry. This could have been sold to give an equivalent of over 300 days of salary. Once she anoints Jesus, those around Mary start to ridicule her for wasting such a precious item. But Jesus replies in Mark 14:8 “She has done what she could.” What a stinking complement. Just imagine if Jesus walked up to you and was like, this girl has taken the characteristics the Father has equipped her with and WOW she has used them to the best of her ability. The oil Mary poured out is like our identity, it is all we have, it is who we are. Just as it was what was given to her on her wedding day when she was chosen, our identity is what the Lord has given us when He chose us to be a holy people for His kingdom (Deuteronomy 7:6). When we pour that out, when we clothe ourselves in the identity that God says we have, then we are doing what we can. How sweet to think that God has gifted us qualities and characteristics of Himself and then we are called to use those to glorify God. WE GET TO SERVE GOD WITH HIS OWN SELF!

However, we cannot clothe ourselves in our identity and use that to serve God unless we know what that identity is. Honestly, this part is actually quite challenging due to human brokenness. It is so easy to find your identity in things of this earth. Personally, I have struggled with finding so much of who I am in the approval of others. But, God has given us a purpose; a purpose to be mighty warriors for His name (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). We cannot do this if we are still held by the chains of human acceptance or mistaken identity in Christ.

The enemy attacks your authentic identity. The enemy wants you striving to hear people tell you that you are good enough, that you have done a job well done, that you are chosen, and that you are loved. This striving is toxic. We serve a God who is shouting these things to us from the rooftop. But, the funny thing about God is that although He may be screaming, we can only hear Him when we draw close. God literally is always going to choose you, is always going to cheer you on saying job well done, and is always going to lavish His steadfast love onto you (1 John 3:1). This striving after approval causes us to believe lies about our identity. It causes us to believe that we are not equipped, that we need to have a different identity. Our identity is in Christ, and therefore it will always be enough. If we try to measure our success on how well we are fulfilling someone else’s identity we will always fail. Just as an arm will always fail at being a leg, we will never be successful when trying to step into the identity God has given to another person. Every person serves a role in the kingdom, and in order to serve that role we must accept the identity that Christ has given us and turn that back to glorify Him (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). That is when we are successful.

Our identity is a packing list, not a shopping list. If we continue to strive for what others have we will constantly fail. We have been equipped with what we need (Hebrews 13:21). God is infinitely easier to please than man. Our God shows grace and mercy in ways we never can (Ephesians 2:4-5). So why, if it is our calling to use our strengths as our identity in Christ to serve Him AND it is easier than serving man, why is that not what we do at all times? Because being broken makes it hard. Because the enemy is constantly attacking us and trying to convince us that these truths aren’t true. But if we clothe ourselves in truthful identity on a daily basis we will always be enough, we will always be chosen, and we will be serving our calling.

There is an anointing on every persons’ life. God has a specific calling for your life. This path may not be clear now, but when we honor the identity we have in God, then that path gets illuminated even if it is just one step at a time. However, that is contingent upon obedience. Obedience to your identity in Him. So, what is your identity? How has the Lord equipped you for His service, and how can you bear that each day as the sole place you find your identity?