Identity

I forget where I have put things. It’s not something I can blame on advancing years. When I was a teenager my family would call me the “absent minded professor” as I could pass exams but leave a trail of forgotten things everywhere.

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

This morning I got to the back gate on the way to a rare meeting in the office. Then I remembered I needed my ID card. I couldn’t get in the office without it. Over 20 minutes later, delving in the pockets of a pair of trousers hung up in my wardrobe I found the elusive piece of plastic…

When is the last time you forgot something important? I had prepared everything else the night before but overlooked this.

Sometimes our lifes and our minds get so cluttered that we forget important details. Like what our identity truly is. As I temporarily lost my card it’s easy in the busyness of life to forget who we really are or look in the wrong places.

I can get pretty down on myself for making mistakes. Phrases like “People who have got things together don’t do things like this” and “can’t you get it right” go through my head. Undoubtedly there is room for improvement. But I’m also reminded, as a believer in Jesus, that my acceptance is not based on my performance. He saw my mess and loves me anyway. I have a higher identity.

For many people who choose to follow Jesus identify is a real issue. In India, to be a faithful citizen is to be a Hindu. In places like Egypt it is virtually impossible to change your faith on your identity card. And if your identity card says you are of the majority faith then your children are considered to be so too. Equally to have an ID card with Christian on it means you suffer discrimination in employment, education, etc. But for many Christians in such countries knowing their true identity is even more important.

May you know your true identity today.